Apartment
by J.L.Lunar
Summary: Gohan has moved out on his own, and is feeling a little home-sick. Piccolo stops by, however, and Gohan finds himself falling more and more in love with his former mentor. Piccolo x Gohan. (falls in canon, but would be considered AU)
1. April

**Hello, I'm rather new to the Dragon Ball Z fandom, but I really wanted to give writing this a shot! Especially since I really enjoy Piccolo x Gohan.**

**The story itself runs on a monthly basis - so basically the month of April is chapter one, and so on and so forth, so chapter length is gonna vary (unless there's a month that is incredibly short, in which case it might be combined)**

**Please, enjoy, and let me know what you think!**

**April 3****rd****, Sunday.**

When Gohan first moved into his own apartment, he'd been understandably nervous. The first day or so he'd unpacked, so he'd been busy enough. But once he'd managed to place his meager furniture and decorations, there'd come the unavoidable sense of discomfort and stillness. There was no Goten or Trunks stampeding through the hallways, no Chi Chi pounding on his bedroom door, and none of the visitors that were always at his mother's house for some reason.

And of course, there was the distinct lack of wildlife—and, if he was honest with himself, he missed peeking out his bedroom window just to spy Piccolo underneath a tree, waiting for Gohan to awaken. There was always bustle and people and things to do. Here in his apartment, Gohan finally understood the term 'idle hands'.

He had his school work—but it was all relatively easy. His mother's obsession with his education while he was younger had certainly paid off in some ways, yet now there was absolutely nothing to do. Not even a weak in and Gohan felt as if he was already prepared to crack, and go crawling back to Chi Chi. She'd been supportive enough of him moving out, but he felt as if he asked to come back, she wouldn't deny his request.

Glum now, he stared miserably at a few posters he'd smacked on the wall. Originally it had seemed amazing to go plastering up posters of his favorite anime, video games, and movies. But all he could think about was how many questions Goten and Trunks would ask, his mother's disapproval, and Piccolo's wrinkled nose as he looked at the 'pointless human things'.

"I'm pathetic," Gohan groaned, slinging his arm over his eyes. Shifting his head to the side, he looked at the clock perched on his TV stand. It blinked out the numbers—12:00pm. On a Sunday. No school, no homework, and absolutely nothing to do.

Shoving his hand into his pocket, Gohan attempted to text Videl, but he received no response. As far as he knew, she was on a camping trip with her father, something about training. Honestly, Gohan had no idea what they could possibly be doing. She insisted her father truly was a martial arts master—it just wasn't fair to compare him to aliens and Super Saiyans.

He'd hoped she'd at least be able to have breaks and be able to respond, though it was looking as if that would not be the case. Hell, if her phone had died, Gohan wasn't even sure she'd be able to charge it. Completely defeated, he let the device fall from his hand, thudding sharply against the carpet. Relaxing fully against the carpet, he debated actually getting around to setting up his game consoles… It just seemed like such a good chunk of work…

He'd nodded off. Rubbing at his eyes, Gohan glanced at the clock once more. 4:00pm. He arched his back, feeling his muscles tighten. Dozing off on the floor hadn't been one of his brightest ideas—but considering he'd also slept on the ground for a good chunk of his life, he supposed he could deal.

Smacking his lips and rubbing at his eyes, Gohan pushed upwards to his feet, still attempting to stretch all the stiffness out of him. Deciding it was a lost cause, rubbed at his sleep-mussed hair and looked around. Outside he could still see the sun coming in bright and warm.

Gohan bent down, scooping up his phone and hurriedly checking it—of course no response from Videl. He almost envied her right now. Tomorrow he'd be back in school, bored out of his skull. Especially with her absence weighing heavily on him, since the two shared a few classes at Orange Star University (he hadn't told Videl at the time, but he'd been secretly happy that the name hadn't been changed after the Cell Games).

His stomach growled, and he cast it a weary glance. He supposed he could run down the road, and grab something at the local burger joint. The thought brought an appreciative rumble to his stomach, so Gohan decided to oblige. Snatching up his keys, Gohan headed down the road. It was a quick walk, and he ignored the dirty look the cashier gave him when he ordered five burgers and two large fries. Deciding he'd get it to go (really he did not like the way workers were glaring at him), he slurped his drink as he stuffed the bag of food in the crook of his arm.

The apartment complex he'd chosen was rather nice, as far as he was concerned. It was in a good part of town, meaning he could walk to school instead of fly. Another perk being that it was near several restaurants and convenience stores. There was also the privacy of the apartments. Each one in the complex was its own separate building, with no upstairs neighbors to worry about. His particular unit was on the back part of the complex, faced away, and tucked into a corner.

He supposed that was how his new visitor had managed to sustain his position for so long.

For right on Gohan's doorstep, was another than the Demon King Piccolo.

"P-Piccolo!" Gohan was rather mad at himself for how un-cool this whole thing was. Here he was, desperate for human contact, with Dr. Pepper dribbling down his chin and a greasy fast food bag shoved in his armpit. He fumbled for a moment, desperately trying to wipe soda from his mouth. He glanced at Piccolo, who remained calm as always.

The alien had been sitting there calmly, legs crossed while he apparently meditated outside of Gohan's door. Dark eyes had watched Gohan's little episode, all the while rising up to his full height. He'd smirked just the slightest bit, and Gohan shifted his feet just a bit, wishing he were that composed.

"I mean… I'm really glad to see you but… I wasn't expecting company…" Gohan mumbled that last bit, guilty eyes treading to his food.

"I can see that." Piccolo's voice was deep, rumbling, and it made Gohan painfully homesick. "Regardless, your mother sent me here." He then bent down, picking up a plastic bag that had been on the stoop beside him. "Your mother sent over a few things you forgot. She wanted to bring it herself, but the Ox King's car was unavailable." This was all said calmly, and in such a matter-of-fact tone, that Gohan had to stifle some bitterness.

IT wasn't fair, really, to expect his mother to brave any costs to come see her son, nor was it realistic to imagine Piccolo breaking down and proclaiming how much everyone missed Gohan—him included. It had only been a few days, after all. Everyone probably assumed he wanted space and time to settle in.

He wanted neither of those things.

And seeing Piccolo was just a heavy reminder of it all.

"Wow… Thanks Piccolo… Though… Why were you with my mom?" Gohan thought about that detail of the story, and watched with mild amusement as Piccolo pulled a face. The Namek looked so comically displeased that it was fantastic.

"I was sparring with Goten and Trunks," came the reply, followed shortly by a disdainful sniff. "The woman cornered me and demanded I bring her 'precious baby' his things." At that, Piccolo smirked, watching as Gohan flushed, before snatching the bag out of Piccolo's hands.

"You're a jerk, Piccolo," he grumbled, digging into his pocket for his keys. Dredging them out, he saw that Piccolo was already preparing to leave. "W-Wait!" Gohan yelped, turning around quickly and dropping his keys. He stepped on them before he even noticed they'd hit the floor.

But Piccolo had waited, and Gohan was focusing entirely on that.

"I just… I mean... I could share my food with you?" The proposition was weak, and stupid. He cursed himself internally. There was no way Piccolo would accept that! They both knew damn good and well that Piccolo rarely ate. Despite him having functioning taste buds, the only time Gohan really saw him eat was when Chi Chi was offering.

"Fine."

Gohan jumped, staring blankly at his former mentor. Piccolo was meeting his gaze, and Gohan was dumbfounded. He hadn't expected a positive response, and was thus thoroughly confused. Mouth agape, he stuttered out something no doubt stupid, while Piccolo merely moved forward, gesturing with his hand for Gohan to open the door.

Seemingly remembering what he was supposed to be doing, Gohan shifted his drink cup once more and picked his keys up from the ground. He shook the dirt off of them, and jammed them into the lock. Once open, he hastily shuffled inside, holding open the door as Piccolo followed.

Gohan shut and locked the door, then rocketed over to the coffee table. He slapped the cup and bag down, watching nervously as Piccolo regarded his surroundings. The Namek gave his usual bemused look to the posters, eyes roaming over the room besides that. Then his gaze landed on the cup.

"Your mother says drinks need coasters."

The statement was so bland and colorless, that Gohan just blinked. He wasn't entirely sure whether to laugh or take the words as a suggestion. Opting out of answering at all, Gohan perched on the edge of the couch, patting the pillow next to him.

Piccolo looked disdainful for just a moment, before he decided to comply. Gohan bit his lip at how ridiculous the alien looked, large frame sitting rather uncomfortably on Gohan's second-hand couch. The thing was huge and ugly, with old school floral pattern, but his mother had dredged it out of the attic. Couldn't argue with free stuff.

But Piccolo sitting on it was never something he'd imagined. The alien seemed to sense his lingering gaze however, and quickly snarled at Gohan. He ducked his head then—more to hide his laughter than actual fear of the Namek—and opened the fast food bag. Dragging out a carton of fries, he proffered the food to Piccolo.

Piccolo held up one hand, dismissing the offer. Gohan shrugged, and started stuffing food in his mouth. His companion decided to pointedly look away, though he did strike up a conversation.

"I didn't agree to have food." Each word throbbed in the air, rumbling through the air and couch to where Gohan could practically feel Piccolo talking. "I merely noticed that something was bothering you." An eyebrow ridge went up, and the alien actually dared to look at him. "Though you seem happy enough, now."

Gohan gulped, looking guiltily down at the sack of food. He played with a fry for just a moment, then popped it into his mouth. A shrug followed. He didn't really know what to say to Piccolo. Instead he mulled over his words, which he supposed was alright, considering his visitor didn't argue against the silence.

Finally, he spoke.

"It's just… I know it's rather pathetic… But I've been alone all week and its starting to bother me. There was always so much to do and so many people at mom's house that I just…" Gohan's voice trailed off, and he shook his head. "Sorry. I know it's stupid." More fries entered his mouth, hoping to stifle his voice with sustenance.

Piccolo made a noncommittal noise, but Gohan noticed that he had also relaxed. The alien had reclined back on the sofa, green arms contrasting horribly with the floral print. Gohan did find himself watching though, as if fascinated. He saw the way that Piccolo poised himself, obviously unused to 'sinking' in when he sat down. So the alien was desperately trying to keep his back straight whilst laying back against the pillows. It was… It was almost cute….

Gohan grunted, choking on his fries. When Piccolo cast him a curious glance, Gohan waved the look away, shaking his head as he did so. He decided he'd had enough fries (and enough of those thoughts) so he switched to one of the burgers. Unwrapping it, he began focusing on that.

He didn't know what the hell was going on in his mind if he'd just called Piccolo 'cute', but he was certain that if the Namek were to ever catch wind of what had just gone through his mind, no Super Saiyan transformations would save him.

"If you are lonely, I'm certain your mother and Dende would not oppose to you visiting them." Piccolo spoke up. Gohan gave a weird, lop-sided shrug, finally deeming it safe to actually face his friend again. Turning his head, he drummed one set of fingers on the outside of the bun.

"I know. It just seems silly… To already be needy." Gohan felt embarrassed to be divulging this to someone who'd spent their first years of life completely alone. It seemed to be such a bratty thing to do, and Gohan wasn't sure how to precede. He finished the first burger, licked his fingers clean, and opened another. That seemed to be the appropriate amount of time for Piccolo to muster up a response.

"You are unaccustomed to such a life." Piccolo was shrugging his shoulders, looking towards the window, where the sun was finally setting. "I think it's a human thing—to be lonely." Gohan watched the green alien's profile, watching as the dying sun lit up each sharp angle of his face.

"I doubt that," Gohan said, hands dropping to his lap, ignoring the burger held between them. Piccolo turned to him, one jutting cheekbone and pointed ear still caught in the light. He stared at those while he spoke. "I know for a fact Dende gets lonely… and I'm sure you do, too. _Mister_ Piccolo."

He stated that last bit with emphasis, and watched as his friend's eyes widened just a fraction. The Namek didn't say anything, his lips pulling into something that Gohan could swear was a pout.

_Definitely a pout_, Gohan thought, observing the huffily crossed arms, pursed lips, and downcast eyes. He couldn't stop himself from smiling, to which Piccolo glared angrily at him.

"Brat." The reply was childish, and Piccolo knew it. There was no venom or creativity to it, and Gohan decided that meant he'd won. Chuckling, just a bit, he lifted the burger back to his mouth. He managed to finish the last of his food, before Piccolo spoke again.

By now the apartment was dark, the sun set long ago. Neither had bothered to actually get up and turn any lights on, preferring to sit in the gloom instead. Gohan had been too focused on eating, and the rather large body next to him, while Piccolo had just deemed it unnecessary.

But now Piccolo was speaking, so Gohan focused on him.

"It has gotten dark." Piccolo rose slowly, and Gohan tried to hide the disappointment on his face. Of course Piccolo had to go. He couldn't expect the warrior to drop come at his beck and call. Shaking off the negative feelings, Gohan stood as well.

"Have a good night, Piccolo," Gohan said, attempting to keep his voice as chipper as possible. However, the Namek gave him an odd look, opening the front door as he peered over his shoulder weights at Gohan's smaller frame.

"You too, kid." It was brief and sincere, causing Gohan to beam a real smile towards the Namek. He fought back the urge to just keep coming up with corny good-byes, and focused instead of waving as Piccolo ascended upwards. There were no backwards glances or return waves, but Gohan was still smiling regardless.

Turning back inside, he threw away his trash, and went to bed.

**Monday 4****th****, 2:30pm**

Gohan's day had been rather uneventful. School had been rather routine, with no new assignments yet. That was always a plus. Of course, he had an essay due next week over the book they'd read in class, but it would be simple. He debated actually flying to his mother's, but he'd quickly vetoed that. He'd shown weakness last night to Piccolo, and thus he needed to overcome it. Training—he would call it that. Training to be an independent adult. After all, if he were to ever grow accustomed to living on his own, he couldn't just go flying off to his mother every time he felt lonely.

So, fully prepared to spend the day by himself, he'd marched straight home.

Just to find Piccolo at his doorstep yet again.

Gohan was just as startled today as he was yesterday, though luckily he didn't have food and drink today. Piccolo once again rose to his feet, watching Gohan as he did so. The demi-Saiyan shuffled his feet in place, fingers clutching at the strap of his backpack.

"Did mom send you with more stuff?" Gohan asked, despite the fact that he saw no plastic bag this time. As he suspected, Piccolo shook his head 'no'. Awkwardly, Gohan nodded, and took a few steps forward, dragging out his keys. Plugging them in, he twisted the doorknob, and entered his apartment, Piccolo a few steps behind him.

Gohan felt as if he were in a surreal state of mind, watching as Piccolo strode forward easily, and took his seat upon Gohan's couch. The alien was still doing his awkward, stiffened back pose. Gohan took pity on him, kicked the front door shut behind him, and strode to the couch.

"Piccolo," he smiled, watching as the gaze rolled to him. "That's not how you sit on a couch." Ignoring the hilariously angry face the Namekian gave him, Gohan placed on knee on the couch, and bent towards his companion. He placed one hand on Piccolo's stomach, pushing slightly as he did so. Underneath the gi, he felt muscles shift, as if contracting away from Gohan's touch.

"Relax," Gohan commanded, pushing softly with his fingers. "Just… dip your stomach in more, and loosen up your spine." Piccolo grunted something that Gohan assumed was obscene, but he eventually complied once Gohan gave another rather insistent press of fingers.

A noise escaped the Namek's mouth, which sounded suspiciously like contentment. Gohan smiled, looking up to Piccolo's face. This was the closest he'd been to Piccolo's face since he'd been a child, and Gohan found himself being reminded of how much he'd actually missed it. Memories of flinging himself around Piccolo's neck rushed to him.

For some reason Gohan wanted to relive them.

He decided it would be best to not do such a thing, and as such reclined back on the sofa, a whole seat cushion away from Piccolo. The alien stayed where he was, saying nothing as he—Gohan almost hated to apply this to Piccolo but—'chilled' on the sofa. Despite the racing curiosity, Gohan decided it was best not to ask Piccolo's motives for appearing today.

Soaking in the relaxing silence, Gohan decided that today he would set up his video game consoles.

**April 5****th****, Tuesday**

Piccolo didn't show up, but Gohan was able to reflect easily on the fond memories of last night. He'd struggled to reach behind the TV and color coordinate the plugs, while the alien had laughed about it. Gohan—thoroughly frustrated—eventually cracked, laughed, and smacked his head rather roughly on the corner of the TV.

**April 6****th****, Wednesday**

One missed call from an unknown number.

Until he listened to the voicemail and found out it was Videl. She'd be back in town by Friday.

Gohan had smiled.

Then Piccolo had appeared at his door, bearing Tupperware of Chi Chi's cooking.

Piccolo had denied Gohan's proposition to share the food, and had also denied Gohan's suspicions about Piccolo having already eaten some on the way there. (Gohan was pretty sure he head—after all, there was no way his mother had purposefully sent him half a bowl of rice—honestly who did Piccolo think he was fooling?)

Piccolo stayed until three in the morning.

And Gohan's heart had sped up at the implications.

**April 7****th****, Thursday.**

Gohan awoke, groggy as he rubbed desperately at his eyes, attempting to form some semblance of coherency. He didn't know what possessed him to think that he could actually stay up that late, and still manage to wake up in time for class. Groaning, he realized he'd already missed his first class.

Miserably, he stumbled from bed, and hobbled into the kitchen. His haphazard method of pouring cereal achieved nothing but a mess all over the countertop. Numb to all the mayhem he was causing, Gohan dug a spoon into his bowl, and reflected on the source of his sleepiness.

He didn't know why Piccolo's visits were still happening, almost a whole week later, or why the alien had decided to stay for as long as he did. While Gohan wasn't about to complain, he also couldn't comprehend what was going on. Perhaps Piccolo was simply bored?

Sighing, Gohan finished his breakfast, and finally took note of the mess he'd made prior to. With a hefty groan, he'd snatched up a few paper towels, and busied himself with the mess. While he cleaned, he still couldn't stop thinking about what was happening with Piccolo. It was very unlike the alien to pay visits—both in quantity and quality.

Hours. Piccolo had stayed hours. Even then the alien had only left because he said that Dende had begun to worry. The little Guardian had never known Piccolo to be gone so late from the Lookout. Gohan had said that he'd understood, and saw Piccolo out. He wouldn't admit that his face heated up a bit as he watched Piccolo throw a small smile back when he flew away.

It was at that point that Gohan had actually noticed the time, and was genuinely ready to punch himself in the face for his neglectfulness.

But, thanks to Piccolo's company, he'd finally set up his games. Not that he'd actually gotten to play any of them, as he'd let slip that he had a paper due. That had spawned a series of questions from the Namek, to which Gohan had heartily answered to. The conversation had been so silly and boring that Gohan couldn't even remember half of it—but he remembered enjoying it.

Rubbing at his temples, Gohan decided that he really needed to get going for the day.

**April 8****th****, Friday**

Videl returned home in a blaze of glory. She'd landed her chopper in his apartment's parking lot, strode up to his door, and had banged heartily on it. When he opened it he half expected her fist to hit his face. Blinking owlishly down at her, he laughed when she jerked him into a rather crushing hug.

"I missed you, jackass," she said, swiping her short bangs off to the side. He rolled his eyes at her antics, taking note of her newly found tan. Videl noticed him looking, and flexed her arms. "I got the old man's genes in me—we tan like crazy. Him even more so!"

"How was the trip?" Gohan asked, leaning one shoulder against the door jam. He listened to Videl's explosive stories—which was nothing but wild arm movements and rather vivid displays of her and her father's moves. He laughed, appreciative of her dynamic personality.

She finally finished, however, and posted up her fists against her hips.

"Now enough about me! I never got to see this apartment put together! What have you been up to, anyways?" Gohan moved then, inviting her inside. She eagerly jumped inside, twisting her head this way and that, observing everything in the room. He told her the less pathetic version of events—that he'd just moved in and was feeling just the teensiest bit homesick, and that Piccolo had been visiting.

Videl lifted her eyebrows at that, before flopping down on the couch. "Really, Piccolo?" she said, especially incredulous after his recount of actually missing class (_"Damn Gohan, you turned into a bad boy while I was gone!" _she'd exclaimed).

"Yeah, it is pretty weird for Piccolo," he murmured, pinching his chin between his thumb and forefinger. He cocked his head to the side. "I've decided not to question it, really." Gohan shrugged then, seating himself on the couch beside her.

"Is he going to come by today?" Videl asked, scooping the remote up off of the coffee table. He hummed slightly, before shaking his head.

"No, probably not. The past few times he's come, he's been here before I get out of school," Gohan explained. He shook his head. "I don't know why he comes, though. I'm honestly worried that if I try asking, he'll just be all '_shut it, kid_' and stop coming!"

Videl laughed at Gohan's imitation of Piccolo's voice, shaking her head as she did so.

"You're both idiots, I feel like."

"Yes, but unfortunately you're actually _friends_ with this one!"

"God, help me," Videl murmured, casting pleading eyes up to the heavens.

**April 20****th****, Wednesday **

Piccolo had been by almost every night. There would be a few that were hit or miss, but Gohan's initial deductions with Videl were correct. If Piccolo was not at the stoop when Gohan got home, then he wasn't going to be there for the day. He was honestly surprised that no neighbors had caught sight of the green alien—he wasn't exactly inconspicuous.

No one had complained yet, though, and so Gohan was fully prepared to just run with it.

Gohan was exiting his last class of the day, when he got a text from Videl. He read it quickly (_'got the stuff yo'_) and stuffed is phone back in his pocket. He cast his gaze around the campus, finally catching sight of a familiar, short crop of black hair, next to a tree.

She looked up when approached her, and she proffered him a rather cat-like grin.

"Do you always have to send texts like you're a drug dealer?" Gohan demanded, crossing his arms. Videl laughed, head tossing back as she did so. But, as soon as she had done that, she turned deadly serious, eyes narrowing as she stared up at him.

"Gohan… How do you know what drug dealers text like?"

"I do weed in my spare time, y'know." Gohan rolled his eyes. Videl was sputtering with laughter now, though, staring at Gohan as if he'd grown a second head. He returned the look with gusto, not understanding Videl's reaction. It hadn't been that funny…

"Did you just say you _do _weed?" she demanded, slapping a hand against her knee. "Hoo-boy that is just too good! Gohan, you are something else, you little fucking nerd." Gohan glared at that comment, wrinkling his nose up just the tiniest bit. Videl ignored that, and instead drew a key out of her pocket.

She grabbed Gohan's wrist, and jerked his hand up to her. There she pressed the key into his palm, meeting his eyes with a solemn stare.

"Now, Gohan..." Videl looked back to the key. "This is a big step in a relationship. Some couples feel stressed once they begin sharing a home and—"

Gohan clenched his fingers around the key and jerked back away from her, face flushing as he did so.

"You big jerk! I just figure Piccolo is tired of sitting on the stoop!" He stuffed the key in his pocket, ignoring his highly amused friends. Videl just seemed to get a kick out of messing with Gohan, and deep down he knew there would never be a way to stop it.

"Come on, he's practically your big green boyfriend," she teased, poking him in the rib. Gohan swatted her hand away, for all extensive purposes pouting as he glared at nothing in particular. Videl really knew how to press some buttons.

"Very funny, Videl. Now, thank-you for getting the key made, and teaching me proper terminology for recreational drugs." He gave her a curt nod, ignoring her snort of 'nerd' that came from underneath her breath. She seemed satisfied, however, and allowed him to go, giving him a quick wave as he went.

"Oh Gohan!" Videl called suddenly, as he was halfway across the quad. "Say hi to your Jolly Green Hubby for me!"

Gohan felt mortification sinking in, his face flushing red as his peers all turned to look at him. Ducking his head quickly, Gohan took off running, sending Videl a rather meaningful text—he even made sure to load it words he didn't normally use, just to sum up how he felt about that. Honestly!

He relaxed his pace, though, the closer he go to the apartment. Biting his lip, he pushed his hand into his pocket, fingers prodding at the key. When he'd first come up with the idea of Piccolo having his own key, he'd of course been stumped. Seeing as they lived in the middle of nowhere, he had had to accustom himself to locking doors. He and his mother had practiced the month before he moved, just to get him in the habit of doing so.

Thus, he hadn't known where to actually get keys. But, once Videl had heard his idea, she'd immediately offered to get the key made for him. She'd waved away the money he'd offered, assuring him of how cheap it was, then took off on her own to get it done. He figured it would be a nice thing to give Piccolo. That, and it would lessen Gohan's worry of eviction due to the rather large alien that was always hovering around.

While he personally didn't find anything wrong with Piccolo's appearance, he knew the other denizens of Earth would certainly disagree with his outlook on the Demon King. Sighing, Gohan dipped his head upwards, looking to the clouds.

He was thinking of Videl's words. The girl was thoroughly convinced that he and Piccolo had something going on—or at the very least that Gohan wanted something to happen. Her deductive reasoning was always spot on, and thus Gohan got very uncomfortable whenever she mentioned that in particular. After all, the only person second to her in that respect was Piccolo.

If he was displaying outward signs of attraction even when Piccolo wasn't around, he was certainly worried to what he was showing the alien face to face. But he couldn't really help that.

With Piccolo around all the time, Gohan had begun paying attention to the tiny details. Like the way Piccolo clicked to sharp claws together when he was thinking, or the thoughtful hums he produced when he ran out of words. There was also the way that Piccolo looked at him—so deep and penetrating, that Gohan, when he met the gaze, would instantly feel a thrum of affection run through him.

And then there was Piccolo's voice. Long hours of exposure to it had not lessened the effect—merely amplified it. Every time Gohan was in the alien's presence he merely awaited what he would say. Piccolo wasn't a scholar like Gohan, yet their intelligence was on par with one another. Piccolo just happened to be more ignorant of higher education.

Groaning, Gohan rubbed one hand across his face, scrubbing desperately at it. While part of him knew that spending this much time with Piccolo probably wasn't a good idea with his growing feelings, he also knew that he couldn't send the alien away. Outside of… other…reasons, Gohan was also still lonely.

He had decided to wait til month's end to visit his mother up in the mountains. In fact, he was counting down the days for when he would fly up there, feeling the wind in his hair… That brought him back around, as he realized he'd have to tell Piccolo he'd be visiting his mother on the first of March. He didn't want the alien showing up, just for no one to appear.

While the key would certainly fix the issue of being outside and exposed, it wouldn't really help the fact that Gohan wouldn't appear, and that it would essentially be a wasted trip.

Then Gohan really thought about how thoroughly invested Piccolo was in his life right now. He and his mentor had always been rather close—Gohan just assumed he was more attached. But this was different. Outside of the six months of brutal training, he and Piccolo had never spent so much time alone together. And for some reason his five year old memories didn't seem to compare to what was happening now.

Though, that could just be because he wasn't being punched repeatedly in the face.

Technicalities.

He was at the apartment now, and his smile was overtaking his features, for there was Piccolo. The alien was on the stoop, same as always, legs daintily crossed as he sat in silence. There was always something so extremely peaceful about approaching Piccolo in this state, and Gohan almost regretted interrupting him.

Piccolo heard him approaching, though, and untangled his legs, rising up to greet Gohan. Looking up into his companion's face, Gohan withdrew the key, proffering it up to Piccolo. All he got was a hard stare in return.

"It's a key," Gohan explained, arching an eyebrow.

Piccolo sneered. "Child, I know what a key is."

"Ok, well it's a key for _you_." He watched as Piccolo's face crinkled up, nose wrinkling and brows furrowing together. It was adorable, really, and Gohan felt his heart thumping at the sight. God, if Videl was here she'd tease him mercilessly for the sappy look he was giving the alien.

Piccolo finally seemed to respond, and picked the finger from Gohan's palm. The boy watched avidly as the gentle sensation of Piccolo's claws scraping against his skin gave him the slightest thrill. To think he was so enamored over the mere tips of his friend's fingers!

"Thank-you, Gohan…" Piccolo's voice trailed off, and he was staring intently at the key. Gohan smiled, watching the curious gaze.

"Well, go ahead and test it out!" Gohan cheered, pumping one fist, attempting to regain normalcy once more. He amped up his enthusiasm, and was rather grateful for the exasperated look that Piccolo gave him. But, the alien was complying, and Gohan watched with adoration as Piccolo inserted the key, fighting to turn it in the lock.

Piccolo stumbled into the apartment, jerking the key from its slot, before depositing it in the pocket of his gi. Gohan followed behind him, watching as Piccolo took hesitant steps forward.

"Now you can come in anytime—so you won't be waiting on the stoop." He beamed up at the alien, and kicked the door to a close behind him.

Piccolo made a rather huffy noise, glaring. "You are making the assumption that I will continue to be here!"

Gohan rolled his eyes. "Ok, Piccolo, whatever you say. Oh! Speaking of your visits, on the first, I'm going to go visit my mother…" His voice trailed off at the last bit, and he felt a strong burst of pride with himself that he was going to manage this. He'd spent such long amounts of time away from his mother before—sure—but it was always with the other Z Senshi as company...

Shaking his head, he turned to see Piccolo, giving an amicable nod.

"That is fine. It will do you good. You've haven't flown in a while, have you?" Gohan shook his head no. "I thought as much. I'm sure you've been neglecting your training as well." Another nod. Piccolo sighed. "I always knew you weren't a fighter at heart, but I thought you'd always keep fighting."

Gohan looked a bit uncomfortable at that, and rubbed at his arms, nervously watching Piccolo.

"It's not that I don't want to train," Gohan admitted, bowing his head just the slightest bit, "but the end result never changes. I haven't gotten stronger—I've plateaued, you could say. It's just frustrating—I don't remember my father or Vegeta ever hitting such a point!"

Piccolo hummed thoughtfully, inclining his head. "I understand your frustrations, Gohan. For the longest time, I too had hit my limit." A large green hand rose upwards, and Piccolo flexed the fingers, staring dismally down at his palm. "It's a horrendous feeling—knowing that no matter what I did I would never be on the Saiyans level."

Gohan felt a bit numb to what was being said. He'd always known it, but the admission aloud was something else entirely. Especially from Piccolo. Certainly the Namek had become more accustomed to addressing his feelings once he'd had to train Goten and Trunks, but that didn't mean he went around dishing out whole plates of information at a time, especially not when it focused on his own weaknesses or short-comings.

"From time to time I still struggle with it." Piccolo shrugged, looking distinctly uncomfortable at this point. Gohan decided not to prod any further, and simply nodded, heading towards the couch. His friend followed, swiping his cape aside so as to not sit on it.

"Why don't you take off your weighted gear?" Gohan suggested, tilting his head to the side. Piccolo blinked a few times, not quite answering. "I mean—if we're just hanging around in my apartment, it seems a bit silly, Piccolo!"

"That's rich coming from _Saiyaman_," Piccolo sneered, crossing his arms as he shot Gohan a rather nasty look. The boy returned it with a laugh however, and shifted his arm up in front of Piccolo's face. He pointed to the watch clasped firmly about his wrist, tapping it with his index finger.

"Ah ah ah, Piccolo! Keep that up and the Defender of the City just might have to make an appearance!" Gohan was enthusiastic now. He didn't often get to don his Saiyaman costume anymore, but he was always certain to keep it on him. He knew Videl kept hers too.

"Please don't," Piccolo actually looked comical, his face stretching in mock-horror as his eyes latched onto Gohan's wristband. Gohan erupted further into laughter, thoroughly pleased at Piccolo's expression. He did oblige, however, and sat back, turning on the TV as he did so. Beside him, Piccolo wrinkled up his nose, and folded up his legs, hovering over the cushions in his meditative pose.

Beside him, Gohan stared, and smiled.

**April 21****st****, Thursday**

Today, when Gohan got home, he saw no Piccolo on the stoop. Whenever he opened his door, however, Piccolo was there, his turban and cape nowhere in sight as he hovered over Gohan's couch. Upon Gohan's entrance, Piccolo opened one eye, his antennae twitching curiously towards his companion.

Gohan tried to deny how adorable that simple motion was, and he certainly denied that he was staring at the broad shoulders that were now bared to him.

Nope, he certainly was not.

**April 25****th****, Monday**

Piccolo hadn't been by for the past few days, but Gohan had actually found himself enjoying Videl's company. She had hung around the apartment sometimes, and other times they ate out. One night, Videl took him bowling—she'd beaten him on a sheer technicality that he'd thrown the ball just a bit too hard and may or may not have completely demolished a wall.

He'd apologized profusely to the manager, and Videl had paid for the damages. The embarrassment he suffered was horrendous. Though, Videl said the amount of laughter she'd had was payment enough, really. Despite this, he'd bought her dinner for the next two nights, and offered to continue to do so in the unforeseeable future.

But now it was Monday, and he was only five days away from his visit to his mother. He smiled fondly at the thought, and busied himself with that on the walk home. Once he reached his apartment, he opened the door, and shut the door behind him.

"Good evening." Piccolo was back, apparently, and Gohan felt his mouth dry. The alien was in the kitchen, plates out across the countertop and an opened Tupperware container was beside him. Gohan dropped his backpack at the doorway, and, mind numb, wandered into the kitchen.

He muttered something in return, but he didn't really remember what. He was too busy staring at Piccolo, long, thin fingers portioning out food onto plates, antennae moving in minute movements. Gohan felt his mouth dry up, and he approached Piccolo.

"Your mother sent food," the alien said simply, looking up from his task to lock gazes with Gohan. Gulping, Gohan nodded dully, trying not to think about how much he enjoyed the sight of his friend in the kitchen. There was something captivating about it—the simple domestic task—that really, really, really (_turned him on_) made him happy.

Piccolo was holding a plate out towards him, obviously, and Gohan tried not to look at the curious movements of Piccolo's antennae. He tried really hard.

"Wow, I'm so happy mom sent food!" Gohan enthused, attempting to distract himself with the meal. Piccolo gave a slight hum, the two moving to the dining table. Seating himself, Gohan watched, mouth agape with food already in it, as Piccolo lowered himself to the seat. Then the Namek was eating, dainty bites of foods entering his mouth, and Gohan forgot he was supposed to be eating.

Until Piccolo spoke again. "Your mother makes good food," the Namek said simply, sampling another bite. Gohan made a guttural noise at the back of his throat. "I told her you would be visiting, by the way. She's rather excited."

Gohan gulped, and went back to his eating. "I am too."

"I'd imagine so."

Their conversation ended, and Gohan allowed it. Sitting in silence with Piccolo wasn't nearly as oppressive as sitting in silence by himself. The atmosphere was still and quiet, allowing Gohan to stare at his food bowl without consequence. He couldn't bring his attention up to Piccolo—just couldn't.

Eventually Piccolo finished his meal, and took both he and Gohan's plate (well in Gohan's case plates plural) to the sink. Gohan went back into the living room, pulling out his laptop. Preparing to type his paper, he nestled back, and opened up Word. Piccolo had entered the living room once more, and was seated on the couch.

"I think sometime soon we should train together, Gohan." Piccolo's voice was deep, and Gohan hummed in response, already typing away. "Sitting on this couch and stuffing yourself with fast food can't possibly be healthy."

"It's not healthy to sling toddlers against the side of a mountain either, but you still did that," Gohan teased, already typing as he nibbled a bit at his lip. He heard Piccolo huff beside him, and Gohan decided he liked this witty banter. "Anyways, who are you to talk? You're going to get and old and fat, sitting around my apartment eating my mother's food."

Piccolo snarled at him, to which Gohan could only laugh. His mentor really took bait far too easily sometimes.

"For such an obnoxious scholar, you seem to have forgotten quite a few facts about my people," Piccolo rumbled, actually going so far as to lean back, and cross his legs. Gohan paused in his typing, staring as the legs overlapped one another, sliding against each other. The baggy gi hid the form, but the simple _possibility _made his mouth dry and—when was the last time he'd masturbated?

Flushing, he shook his head like a wet dog, ignoring the odd look Piccolo gave him. "Well you haven't exactly been the most helpful with all of that knowledge," Gohan grumbled, tapping away at his laptop. The Namek hummed in response.

"All that I know of my people comes from the old bat and pompous jerk in my head," Piccolo griped, flexing his claws towards his cranium. Each finger tapped thoughtfully against his temple, and he cocked his head. "I suppose if I wanted to no more I could always speak to Dende. Though you could just as easily do the same."

"Hey, you're the one that lives at the Lookout!" Gohan argued, hitting the tab button as he stared, mystified, at the screen. His next section would be particularly difficult—it didn't really match the rhetorical strategy he'd been using and he didn't want the professor to actually notice it. "Though, you spend a good chunk of your time here lately, too," the boy teased, drumming his fingers along the keyboard.

"A certain somebody pitifully begged me to stay around."

Gohan felt his spine tense up at that. He knew Piccolo was just joking, but something about it had hit him on a wrong cord. Attempting his best to deflect it, however, he focused solely on his paper. Piccolo did not try to continue their conversation, and instead seemed to just be quietly taking in all the noises of his companion.

The only time Gohan actually paused was when Videl would shoot him messages. To begin with, she had sent 'hey is bae there?'. While he was exasperated with her persistence on referring to him and his ex-mentor as a couple (really his imagination was enough without her helping it along) he had decided to just let Videl have her way—it made life simpler, he had discovered.

Once he'd replied back to her that had inspired a whole conversation revolving around Videl making lurid insinuations, all of which he denied, adamantly. But she maintained that there was no possible way she could know what sinister acts the two were up to, and thus she could only imagine that they were having 'freaky alien sex'.

Groaning, Gohan slammed his laptop shut, and stuffed it into the bag. This prompted Piccolo to lift an eyebrow of inquiry, and Gohan wiggled his phone between his two fingers.

"Videl is texting me," Gohan explained, eyeballing the device as he said so. There wasn't really the worry of Piccolo actually seeing the messages—he didn't even know if Piccolo could read, but from field experience he would have to say that the alien probably could manage enough to survive.

"Texting?" Piccolo cocked his head to the side, the word sounding foreign on his tongue. Gohan found it absolutely endearing, even going so far as to have to check himself from making an audible 'aww'. Really, he was getting pathetic.

"Yeah. We type out messages, and it's like instant communication," Gohan explained. Piccolo furrowed his brow in confusion.

"So you have a constant source of connection with others?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Then why were you so lonely and bored?" The question was an honest one, and Gohan supposed it made sense to someone like the Namek. Spending his whole life alone had probably warped his sense of actual communication. So, giving the question actual thought, Gohan attempted to pose an answer.

"It's like… Imagine if you and I could telepathically communicate—and I don't mean what you do, Piccolo, I mean full on conversation. But you were all alone in a wasteland for months, and that was the only way we could speak."

"I wouldn't mind that," came Piccolo's reply, and the Namek shrugged, looking unabashed by his blunt answer. Gohan groaned, palming his face as he did so. He certainly hadn't expected that response, though he couldn't bother to actually be surprised. It should have been fairly obvious by the fact that Piccolo _had_ inhabited wastelands for months at a time with no outside contact.

"Ok, never mind," Gohan conceded, waving a hand. "Anyways, a lot of mine is self-inflicted. I'm basically proving that I'm a functioning adult. I don't want to go crying back to my mother simply because I feel a little home-sick."

"I'm sure she wouldn't complain." Piccolo replied easily enough, a lop-sided smirk on his face that made Gohan's heart stutter. He gave an uneasy laugh, checking his newest message, hoping it would cover for his abysmal acting skills. If the alien weren't… well… an alien, then Gohan's secret little crush would've been realized way before now.

Videl certainly thought so, and was of the mind that he should definitely act on it—if anything just to see where it would go. She'd argued that he and Piccolo's friendship was strong enough to withstand something as small as a failed crush. While Gohan believed that Piccolo would be perfectly fine denying Gohan and continuing on with his life, the boy wasn't entirely sure he'd take rejection so well.

Sighing, he stared at the latest bout of name-calling and teasing.

He chanced a look at Piccolo, and decided to do something bold, for once.

Trying to ignore how hideously awkward he was, Gohan pushed against the couch cushions, slotting himself against Piccolo's side. He saw curiosity stain the stoic alien's features, as Piccolo seemed at a loss for what the hell was happening at this moment.

Gohan, however, took it in stride. He held up his phone, and snapped a quick picture. Smiling, he looked to see the end product, and felt his face glow with ill-contained pleasure. On the screen was their picture, Gohan's head resting against Piccolo's ribcage, while the alien's arm cushioned itself hesitantly against Gohan's bicep. While the boy was beaming a smile up at his camera, the Namek's gaze was locked on him, antennae cocked upwards and expression curiously soft.

Fingers clutched tightly at the phone, and Gohan actually debated whether to send it to Videl like he'd originally planned or not. For some reason, seeing that look on Piccolo's face made him want to save the photo and never allow anyone else to see. But in the same sense, he wanted everyone in the world to know that Piccolo had such a face—it was a treasure he both wanted to reserve and blast across the universe, and Gohan didn't know how to feel about that.

And in all his ponderings he never thought to realize that he was still pressed against Piccolo, black tousled hair spilling onto the purple gi. Warmth radiated from the Namek, keeping him calm. It had felt so soothing to reside there, that Gohan hadn't yet thought to move.

(_a dim part of his brain fought to register that piccolo hadn't made him move either_)

"That's a picture of us," Piccolo said suddenly, the alien's voice rumbled through him, Gohan's spine arching at the force of it. Every hair on the back of his neck stood up in anticipation, and Gohan fought back the goosebumps he felt rising. For Goodness' sake this was ridiculous…

"It is," Gohan's reply was a mumble, essentially, as he really couldn't work up much else. Despite his previous thoughts of harboring the picture, he did send it to Videl. He captioned it 'see, no freaky tentacle sex, you weirdo ;)' but his mood didn't at all resemble such a light-hearted message. Inside he was a mess, and outside he was simply quiet, still leaning heavily against his ex-mentor.

"I've only ever seen old photos," Piccolo was speaking again, and Gohan was thanking the heavens for blessing him with such a voice. "Your mother has a few. That is of much nicer quality." The alien's observations were so bland and practical—but Gohan didn't care.

"Yeah… I really like this picture," Gohan was saying, despite the internal mantra of –_shut up shut up shut up shut up!_-. A rumble was the only response he got, which he assumed was Piccolo's way of agreeing with something. "Hey, do you mind if I make it the background of my phone?"

"I don't know what that means." The response was even enough, and he felt Piccolo's massive shoulders heave with a shrug. There was a small spark of frustration in Gohan's belly—that Piccolo wouldn't understand the significance of such a thing

(but he didn't understand the significance that he was _still laying there_)

-though he got over it quickly enough. After all, it wasn't like it was Piccolo's fault, really. Between being the feared Demon King and residing up in the Lookout, he hadn't exactly become accustomed to Earth's every nuance.

Drawing him out of his reverie, he noticed one of Piccolo's fingers tapping at his shoulder. Gohan turned as if in a stupor, to look at the face that was exceptionally closer than normal. Despite the fact that Piccolo was obviously trying to get his attention, he found himself lost for just a moment, staring at the strong neck, sharp jaw line, and jutting nose. An almost irresistible urge to kiss the tip of that nose overtook him and—

Gohan jerked out of Piccolo's lap, his bottom lip caught ferociously between his teeth. The alien gave him an odd look, but was slowly standing up, headed towards the door. With a heavy gulp, the boy leaned against the sofa, eyes warily watching as Piccolo gave him a half-hearted wave, told him to go to sleep, and left.

Crawling into bed, Gohan sighed. So swept up in his passionate replay of the last bit of Piccolo's visit, he forgot that he'd ever even thought of touching himself.

**April 26****th****, Tuesday**

Today when Videl awoke him with a text message, Gohan couldn't help the beaming smile that lit his face, for when he unlocked his phone, all he could see was Piccolo.


	2. May

**This chapter is significantly shorter, because it's leading into the next chapter (which is really 22 pages long on its own), and is when the actual 'romance' stuff begins. Since this is a filler though, I will probably be posting June rather soon.**

**However! This chapter comes with a warning. There is self-love in this - but it's only one sentence, and is not really graphic, so changing the rating seemed a bit excessive. If you feel like it's offensive or needs to change, please feel free to say so.**

**That being said, I hope you enjoy**

**May 1****st****, Saturday**

"Gohan!" Chi Chi greeted, wiping her hands off on her apron. She'd just come from the kitchen, hurrying up to him. Her fingers were immediately around his cheeks, before dropping around his shoulders, dragging him into a hug that could've crushed a normal human.

"I've missed you mom!" he returned, careful with his hug. After all, he was his father's son, and Goku had certainly done enough damage to Chi Chi throughout the years, simply showing minor displays of affection.

"I've missed you too, sweetie," she enthused, her smile not fading as she took a few steps back from him. "Piccolo told me you'd be coming today, so I took the liberty of making you a chocolate cake." Chi Chi laughed, noting the look of rapture that overtook his face at the mention of cake.

Following him inside, she quickly seated him, serving him the whole cake. She knew that a young Saiyan would gladly eat it in its entirety. There was no way she was going to look her hungry baby in the eye and tell him he was limited, anyways.

Sitting down opposite him, she watched as he forcefully used his best manners for her.

"I was certain you hadn't had much in the way of desserts since you'd been gone," she spoke, watching his affirmative nod. He wouldn't be speaking for quite some time, Chi Chi could already guess, due to the food being shoveled into his mouth. "I've missed you, Goten has as well. But, he and Trunks are going on a camping trip—with Bulma!" she threw in hastily, watching as Gohan jumped to the first conclusion—that Vegeta was taking them.

"He's grown quite close to the Briefs as of late, anyhow. I'm glad he has someone to keep him preoccupied. I'm certain that he needs more company then just me, you know?" She laughed at the look in her son's eyes, as if he wasn't certain how to answer that. "Though, Piccolo has been coming around here lately, helping me train Goten."

That certainly piqued Gohan's interest, but she didn't think anything of it. She knew Piccolo and Gohan were incredibly close. Once upon a time she'd had beautiful dreams of her son kicking the alien to the curb, after all, but she had obviously been robbed of that joyful experience. Now she and the Namek simply were.

It wasn't a friendship. It wasn't hatred. It was simply being.

Tucking back a strand of hair, Chi Chi saw that he was about done, and decided now was her chance to spring one of her most important conversational topics. A sneaky smile lit her face as she scooped up Gohan's plate and fork, watching as he patted his belly in a satisfied way.

He leaned back, obviously pleased. "That was amazing, mom," Gohan's compliment warmed her slightly as she rinsed off the plate. Setting it in the sink, she turned her back to it slowly, and leaned one hip against the counter.

"So," Chi Chi began, "have you met anyone special at college?"

She knew she had him the moment he spluttered, a blush lighting up his face as he quickly looked everywhere but. His fingers immediately delved into his hair, looking the very picture of his father in that moment. It was too much, really. Her son hadn't been this flustered since they'd discovered his crush on Videl back earlier in high school.

That had lasted a good three years—and Chi Chi almost thought they were going to make it. Then the two just decided to be friends, and stayed as close as when they'd been dating, even going so far as to attend college together like they'd planned as a couple. The two were one of a kind, certainly, be it romantic or platonic.

"Mom," Gohan was muttered, shifting in his chair. "I don't… I don't have anyone."

"What a pity," Chi Chi sighed dramatically, fanning herself as she leaned against the counter. Gohan laughed at her behavior, the love in his eyes making her own water. She loved her boys, truly, and now she simply wanted to love some grandchildren.

"The moment I find someone, I'll tell you immediately," Gohan promised, then a look that Chi Chi immediately associated with guilt flickered across his features. She could already tell that he liked someone from all of his blushing and blustering, but that was certainly an odd reaction. She wondered if perhaps it was someone she wouldn't approve of.

Hopefully it wasn't a delinquent.

Giving a thoughtful hum, she decided to move their little reunion into the living room, offering to put in a movie. Gohan had declined, under the premise that he'd already seen enough movies since he'd been on his own.

"On the off chance Piccolo doesn't stop by," he'd said, a definite whine in his voice, "then that's all I do. He's so erratic with his schedule, too, so it's pretty much luck of the draw."

Chi Chi started a bit at the mention of Piccolo, but Gohan had let it slip so easily that she decided not to press it. She knew that Piccolo had visited Gohan a few times—after all, she'd sent him with food. But what Gohan had just said made it sound like Piccolo was there more than he was not, and that was what interested her the most.

A quick decision told her to just leave it be for now. Wait and observe. Gohan was unobservant. She knew her baby was as smart as a whip, but when it came to anything else he fumbled just a bit. That was Goku in him, for sure.

"So, do you like living on your own?" Chi Chi opted for that question instead, ignoring all the burning ones she had about Piccolo. It made sense, though. The Namek used to spend a few hours with Goten, then he would mutter that he was leaving for the Lookout, and immediately fly off. Now, however, he'd begun a routine of demanding to know what time it was from Chi Chi, then flying towards down whenever he left. She'd not thought to question Piccolo.

"I like it well enough, I suppose," Gohan answered, though he looked a bit sullen. "It was really awful at first. That's why I made myself wait at least a month. I didn't want to crack—and I figured flying up here every time I got a bit lonely wasn't the way to help that. Piccolo did make it a thousand times easier though."

She smirked, watching as he slowly divulged more and more.

"What do you and Piccolo do?" she asked, attempting to maintain casual conversation. The trick with the Son boys was to wheedle the information slowly out of them. Keep your voice calm and relaxed, you didn't want to arouse any suspicion from them by altering the mood or flow of dialogue.

"Mostly sit around," and there it went, "I do homework while he meditates or talks to me. It's really nice. The other day he actually listened to me and stopped wearing his weighted gear while we're relaxing. He kept sitting on it weird whenever we'd relax on the couch." He was rambling now. "The other day was really fun, too. He ended up serving your dinner, we ate together, and I leaned against him and took a picture…" Gohan looked down at his pocket, then, and Chi Chi slowly blinked at all this new information.

It was bizarre, to imagine Piccolo just 'hanging out' with a human of his own volition, doing perfectly domestic things. The thought, which she'd originally thought of as repulsive, slowly transformed into something that was more digestible. Her own feelings for Piccolo had altered progressively throughout the years. Once she'd found out that he was just as malleable as her husband (thank-you driver's license test) he'd even been tolerable.

And now he was making her son happy.

Chi Chi, in one wild moment, even imagine some weird affair happening between the two. With a shudder, she quickly set aside that thought. While it wasn't as repulsive as it should have been, she wasn't exactly thrilled to have imagined it anyways.

Pushing aside those thoughts, she focused on engaging in perfectly normal conversations with her son. The end of semester was coming up after all, and she was questioning him about his plans for the summer. He seemed rather unsure of himself, and Chi Chi had to try very hard not to roll her eyes many times. (Ok so it wasn't _mature_ for someone her age but _honestly_ her boys were so _clueless_!)

She finally realized the time and walked him to the door, delivering a soft kiss to his cheek. As he flew off, she stayed standing in the grass, wet strands tickling her legs, until he was completely gone from sight. Then, Chi Chi turned around, went inside, and did the dishes.

**May 3****rd****, Monday**

Gohan had felt completely revitalized from his visit with his mother. He'd immediately gone home, done his homework, and had set about texting Videl about his encounter. She'd teased him about there definitely being someone for whom he had his eyes on, but in his good humor he'd heartily agreed, shocking his phone into silence for the night.

Once Sunday hit, Piccolo had arrived bright and early at his doorstep, complaining loudly that they needed to get on with his training. Gohan had assuaged him with promises for summer break—"I swear Piccolo its coming up soon, relax!"—to which his companion had grumbled none too quietly, a small pout on his lips. It was at that point that Gohan had taken the liberty of snapping another picture. Piccolo had seemed confused at first, but allowed it.

Now it was Monday, and Gohan was still feeling the resonating waves of good emotions riding through him. When he opened his door, he was a little let down that there was no Piccolo there to greet him, but he did pause momentarily, soaking in the one benefit to this. He had been neglecting himself here lately….

Sucking in a deep breath, Gohan flopped down on the couch, and unbuttoned his fly. Despite his brain kicking him thoroughly, he couldn't help but slide over to Piccolo's side of the furniture. If he lied to himself, Gohan could almost say he smelled the Namek.

Smiling at the thought, Gohan pushed his pants down just a bit, the band of his boxers sliding with it. One hand cupped his balls, while the other carefully palmed his cock, and it felt _fantastic_. It had been far too long—thinking back, he literally hadn't done this since his new apartment. There'd been no time, and simply no enthusiasm for such things.

He'd just started going, feeling wonderful, as a key turned in the lock. Gohan froze, petrified, as a few embarrassing childhood memories raced through his mind. That sound coupled with this activity had earned him quite a few shrieks from his mother back when he was younger.

So he sat there, mid-stroke of masturbation, as Piccolo entered the living room.

A number of curse words spilled out of his mouth as Gohan hastily jerked his pants and boxers up, grunting as the zipper scraped against him. He curled his knees up to his chest, attempting to hide the tent that had formed there, and the pre-cum staining his pants.

Piccolo was just standing there, looking resolutely at the floor as he did so. Gohan was appreciative of that at least—despite the fact that he still desperately wanted to find a hole to curl up in and die. How fucking embarrassing was this!?

"I'm sorry I was not here at my usual time," Piccolo was muttering, though it sounded a little strangled, "my training with Goten ran a little late." Another pause, in which Gohan was fighting back tears of horror. "If you'd like, I can leave for the day?"

Gohan mumbled something, and he felt a few more tears gather. Oh Gods, he could not cry over something so absolutely stupid! This was pathetic. So what his ex-mentor and crush caught him masturbating. Who didn't that fucking happen to?!

"Very well. Though, you should know ah…" Piccolo's voice was strained again, and Gohan felt his mortification mounting with every word, "it's nothing to be embarrassed about. Your father used to do it."

"_Please go," _Gohan ground out, unable to hear anymore of whatever the hell that had been. The Namek decided that, for once, he'd not put up a fight, and actually obliged to Gohan's request. He heard a distant click, as Piccolo took his leave, locking the door as he left.

Flopping over on the couch, Gohan stared miserably at his persistent erection, and decided that he really fucking hated his life right now.

**May 4****th****, Tuesday**

Videl was staring at him, mouth hanging open, revealing the contents of her sandwich to Gohan in a way that was more than unpleasant. Really, didn't she think that he was disgusted enough with himself, without her bologna staring him in the face.

"Videl," he finally griped, taking a bite of his own food, looking miserably down at the table. The pair were seated at a Subway, his five subs beside him, along with three bags of chips they intended on sharing. Ideally, he hadn't wanted to discuss this in a public place, but Videl had insisted on food after a long day at school.

"Sorry," she mumbled finally, chewing her food through a closed mouth. Her eyes slid off to the side, fixated on something. "It's just… God that's embarrassing."

He cringed at that, fingers tightening around his sandwich. Mayonnaise dribbled out of the bottom, and he stare miserably as it puddled up on a wrapper. This was such a mess. Even Videl wasn't offering her usual bout of sarcastic wisdom, and was instead openly pitying him for this whole debacle.

"I really wish I could offer some form of advice," Videl was saying, still being far too kind with this to make Gohan comfortable. If she were making jokes then it would be all right—but this deep rooted sincerity made his skin crawl. "Unfortunately I've never had my crush catch me in the act, y'know?"

"Yeah, I know," he sighed miserably.

"Maybe he'll come visit today, and you can talk about it?" Videl offered, attempting to see the bright side of a pitch dark room.

"That's the thing," Gohan muttered, taking a miserable bite of his food, "I'm not sure I want to. It got really weird, and he mentioned something about me not being embarrassed because my dad did it! How do you even continue conversation from there?" His voice pitched into the whiny area at the end of that, and he quickly quieted himself, thankful that no one else was in the shop.

"That is weird," Videl admitted, humming thoughtfully. She finished off her sandwich, then turned to one of the bags of chips, popping it open. Drawing one out, she munched on it, mulling over what he'd said. "But didn't he and your dad train together?"

"While I was there," Gohan complained, dropping his sandwich as he flattened his palms against the table. He remembered training with the two warriors—but they weren't always in one another's company. And then there was when Piccolo had stayed at their house for a small period… "Well… I guess it's possible," Gohan finally mumbled.

"Then again, what do giant green aliens know about masturbation?" Videl seemed on a whole different tangent that made Gohan distinctly uncomfortable. "Do you know what Namekians have down there?" She was staring at him, her gaze intense, causing him to shift underneath it.

"I don't know," he admitted, not wanting to give way to the fact that he'd tried to imagine it before. How was he supposed to know what went on down there? He'd never seen the Namek naked. Of course, Piccolo had had every inch of his clothes blasted off but at that particular area of interest. The only other person he'd even be able to ask such a question to would be Dende and that just seemed inappropriate on so many levels.

You couldn't just walk up to God and ask him if he had a dick.

Some things just weren't done.

"Oh well," Videl sighed, shaking her head. "I mean, not to sound so apathetic, but what's done is done. You can only persevere!" A pumped fist and Videl was back to her usual self, cocky grin taking dominance on her face. "Is he supposed to come over and visit today?"

"I don't know," Gohan admitted, shrugging his shoulders. He didn't notice the way Videl was staring at him, an expression of incredulousness there.

"So he could very well just be sitting in your apartment right now, waiting for you to get there?" She finally prompted, twirling a finger slowly. "Y'know, maybe ready to sort this whole thing out?"

It finally clicked, and Gohan jumped from his seat. He tried his best to ignore Videl's laughter at his sake, simply hugging her as a thank-you before he jetted out the door. The temptation to fly was ridiculously strong, but he managed to keep it at bay. There was no sense in causing alarm for people—anymore.

Running as fast as he could without breaking into his super-human limits, Gohan arrived at his apartment. Dragging out his keys, he jammed them into the lock, and turned the knob.

Inside, his apartment was empty. No one there.

Sighing, Gohan cursed himself for his eagerness, and flopped down on the couch. A few stray waves of embarrassment clouded his mind for just a moment as he recalled last night's session. Miserable once more, he pulled out his phone and sent a text to Videl.

God, this was pathetic.

**Please let me know what you think!**


	3. June

**June 4****th**

Summer vacation, and thus Gohan had completely lost track of the days. He didn't really do anything overly exciting anyhow, passing in time in relative peace. Occasionally, Videl would drag him to the pool, or he would visit his mother, Krillin, and the Briefs family. It was so completely normal that he had momentarily forgotten the fact that he'd been so desperate for contact from these very same people just two months prior.

The only person he hadn't seen since he'd been out of school had been Piccolo.

Despite his overwhelming ki, and rather distinctive appearance, Gohan could not seem to 'run across' the alien anywhere. For small moments, he would swear he felt the small pulsations of Piccolo off training somewhere, just for the feed to be cut abruptly short. Since the day that Piccolo had walked in on him…

Gohan had even went to Dende, genuinely worried that he had severely damaged their relationship. He knew the alien wasn't exactly an overtly talkative person, but he held fast to the possibility that Piccolo had said something to the Guardian. Dende had simply said that Piccolo had told him and Popo nothing, and that the Namekian had just been off training.

Taking that as a sign to give up on his endeavor to locate his former mentor, Gohan had focused more on spending time with everyone else. If Piccolo wanted to avoid him, then there was simply nothing he could do. After all, continuously tracking him down and harassing people about him would get a tad bit creepy after a while.

Though, he had gleaned some information from hanging out with his family. Accident or no, he was rather grateful with how helpful there words had been. Apparently Piccolo had stopped visiting Chichi and Goten as well, but Chi Chi said that Piccolo had told them prior to his visits halting. It was the same thing that Dende had said—that the Namek was simply off training.

Gohan decided to accept that, and after he'd put it from his mind, he'd actually enjoyed his summer break thus far. After all, he loved his brother and mother, and enjoyed being able to spar with Goten once more. His younger brother was incredibly strong, and Gohan actually felt as if Piccolo might have been right about Gohan getting weak.

Videl had also informed him that Erasa and Sharpener were back in town, which led to him spending a few days with them. Erasa in particular was happy to see him, complimenting him on the fact that he'd only gotten more handsome since she'd last seen him.

While Gohan had blushed at her flattery, Videl had poked him in his side, and said, "Now, now! What would the jolly green giant say about you blushing at every other girl?" That had furthered his embarrassment, though luckily enough Sharpener and Erasa had learned long ago that asking questions about Gohan got you nowhere, and the two ignored Videl's odd comments.

But, today, he was bored. His mother and brother were out running errands, the Briefs were having a 'family game night' (Vegeta swore up and down that he didn't participate, but with the smug look on Trunks' face, Gohan seriously doubted that), while Krillin and Eighteen had Seventeen over. He'd tried a few times contacting his friends, though he had yet to receive a text in response.

Grumbling at his misfortune, Gohan drummed his fingers against his thigh. Humming thoughtfully, he decided to go visit Dende. Getting a safe distance from the apartment, Gohan took to the skies, alighting upon the Lookout's white tiles.

Immediately he was greeted by Dende, though the little alien looked a little stressed out. Blinking slowly, Gohan watched the Guardian's approach, his white robes swishing against the floor as he hurried forward. Taking note of the tight grip Dende had upon his cane, Gohan tilted his head, curious as to what was going on.

"Oh! Gohan!" Dende's voice was certainly nervous, and now fingernails were digging lightly into the wood. "Why on Earth are you here?"

"I was bored and wanted to come visit—is there something the matter?" Gohan shifted backwards a bit, hands forming into fists as if expecting some sort of enemy to appear. If the Guardian was worried, then there was a high possibility that he would have to go rally up the rest of the Z-warriors.

"N-No," Dende stuttered, holding up one placating hand. Gohan visibly relaxed, taking a few steps forward, and clapping Dende's shoulder. The smaller Namekian buckled a bit under him, and Gohan grimaced.

"Sorry, sometimes I forget how strong I am. You did have me really worried, though!" Gohan held up one finger, winking playfully at the nervous alien. Perhaps it was something personal that Dende didn't wish to discuss with others? He couldn't tell, though he was just hazarding a guess with that nervous look on his companion's green face.

"Yes, well," Dende's gaze slid off to the side, and Gohan got the distinct impression that his friend did not want him up here.

"There's something wrong." This time Gohan put a little more force in his voice, and he stared down at Dende. The alien shifted a bit, drumming his fingers on the cane as he stepped away from Gohan. Little antennae twitched nervously.

"Well. I mean… It's just... Now might not be a good time for you to be up here," Dende began, but Gohan cut off his sentence.

"Is Piccolo here?" he demanded, tightening one hand to a fist and pointedly ignoring Dende biting his lip. He received a nod, though, and Gohan actually felt his anger sparking. "So he is ignoring me?" It was accusatory, and he didn't even feel bad for the guilty look that drenched his friend's face. "Why?"

"I don't know if one can really say ignoring is the word but…"

"But nothing! Where is he?" Gohan demanded, crossing his arms huffily across his chest. It was anger, but there was also _hurt_. Piccolo hadn't ignored him since he was four years old, and to find out that was happening now—he felt his chest constricting. This was too much. Sure, he could understand Piccolo feeling a sort of… awkwardness… in between them, but the alien had said himself that he'd witnessed Goku doing it! Those two obviously hadn't had a big falling out.

Dende was fidgeting now. His lips moved just a bit, but the alien was denied a chance to answer.

"I'm right here, Gohan." The deep voice jolted down his spine, and Gohan whirled around to see a rather large figure coming towards him. Despite the fact that he'd been roiling in emotions, a new one rose to the surface—joy. He was so unbelievably pissed and happy to see Piccolo. Hungry eyes drank in the confident steps, the rolling shoulders, and the billowing cape that brushed softly against green skin.

He felt his throat go dry, and his hands went lax. Dende took that moment to approach Piccolo, looking curiously at his fellow Namekian. Piccolo gave him a minute nod, to which the Guardian returned reluctantly. Then Dende gave one last look to Gohan, before leaving the two.

Gohan was still staring at Piccolo, unaware of which way he wanted to go from here. Part of him wanted to throw a fit, demand why he was being treated this way. The other part simply wanted to throw his arms around Piccolo, and kiss the alien into oblivion.

Neither option seemed to be very realistic, so he settled for simply stuffing his hands into the pockets of his shorts. Piccolo was still watching him, head to the side a bit. He soon motioned for Gohan to follow him, and despite all of his inclinations, he followed. It came so naturally—after all, he'd done it most of his childhood. Following Mr. Piccolo was so familiar, that he almost relished in watching the white cape flapping in front of him.

At one point, the cape lifted high enough, and Gohan determinedly looked elsewhere. The last thing he needed was for his outrage to be quenched by lust.

Piccolo brought him into a room—a rather plain one at that. There was a small table, with a group of white chairs bustled up around it. A few glasses of water were the only other thing in the room. The theme was still that of white walls and white tiles.

Ahead of him, Piccolo was seating himself at one of the chairs, and invited Gohan to follow suit. He did, choosing the one across the table from the Namekian. Once seated, he leaned forward, elbows digging into his knees as he regarded the poised alien.

Piccolo sat rigid, cape drawn to one side as he did so.

Gohan broke the silence.

"Why have you been ignoring me?" he wanted to get straight to the point. Normally, he'd try to be polite, and wheedle things out of the Namekian at his pace. One thing he'd learned was that persistence could win Piccolo over—but only if done to a marginal amount. Any more than what the Namek felt comfortable with, and there was an immediate shutdown to follow.

This time, though, Piccolo seemed more than ready to answer.

"You seemed embarrassed." His voice was rich and deep, eyes burning into Gohan's own. "I did not wish to bother you after something so personal had happened. I assumed you would seek me out once you had become comfortable once more."

"I tried," Gohan stated, splaying his hands as he did so. "I went looking for you, but your ki was so erratic I couldn't get close enough. I assumed you were hiding from me!"

"Certainly not," and Piccolo actually looked offended at that accusation. "I was out training. That was why my ki was constantly changing." Sniffing just a bit, Piccolo raised one eyebrow, regarding the teen. "I know your power has grown, but I haven't sunk so low as to run from you."

Gohan groaned, head dropping to his hands. "That's not what I meant," he mumbled, his palms pressing into his mouth muffling the sound. Piccolo made some sort of noise, to which Gohan decided to answer. "I just figured you'd be… Well… disgusted with me, or something… And then Dende was acting weird."

"Dende was acting 'weird', as you say, because I told him I would not be visiting you for some time. I figured you wouldn't want me mentioning the incident, so I just said we had an altercation." Piccolo then paused, tilting his head. "And why should I be disgusted?"

"Because you caught me… Y'know," Gohan waved one hand, face flushing as he looked away from the Namek's burrowing gaze.

"I caught you doing something humans do," Piccolo shrugged. "I told you I've seen your father do it, and the men make jokes about doing that act." At this the Namek crossed one of his legs, looking for all the world like they were discussing the weather and not masturbation. "I don't really understand what it is that's happening, but I know how secretive humans are about their genitals."

Gohan flushed at that, but then felt his curiosity pique. "So… Piccolo?" He received a grunt, telling him to continue. "Have you never masturbated?"

The Namekian blinked. "No." Such a cut and dry answer, yet it still made Gohan shiver for some reason, and he felt heat rise along his skin.

"Do… Namekians have genitalia?" Gohan wanted to smack himself. He was already at this point though, and figured that he didn't have anything to lose. Well, outside of possibly his face if Piccolo took offense to such an unnecessary comment.

Piccolo took it in stride. "I honestly don't know. I have a few memories of Nail and Kami. Neither ever had a use for theirs." A shrug. "I don't put much thought into it. Humans use them for reproduction and pleasure—neither of which I need."

Gohan nodded, and rose from his seat. Piccolo watched him rise up, eyes following his student as Gohan approached him. A goofy, lop-sided smile appeared on Gohan's face—one that his father was quite famous for—and he bent down, arms wrapping themselves around Piccolo's shoulders.

Piccolo jerked, but didn't shove the boy away. Gohan smiled at this, and became bold, pressing his face into the side of the Namek's neck. He couldn't believe how warm Piccolo was, and tightened his hold, breathing against that emerald skin. His heart constricted at the thought that this would probably be one of the only times this could happen, but it also served to make him relish it all the more.

"I love you, Piccolo," Gohan muttered, and he reveled in the fact that he could say this honestly, regardless of whether or not romantic feelings were ever returned. He didn't care if Piccolo ever said the words back, or returned even an ounce of his affections. The pleasure derived from saying those words had no contingency on anything—making it all the more wonderful.

Piccolo didn't say the words back. Gohan hadn't expected him too. But he also hadn't expected for Piccolo to stand up, awkwardly dragging Gohan with him. He went to release Piccolo, just as the Namekian wrapped his arms around Gohan's waist, nails twitching against his back.

Gohan froze. He hung there off of Piccolo's neck like a limp doll, disbelieving the fact that this was happening. Right now. This was going down. Piccolo Daimao Jr. was currently hugging him. Sucking in a shaky breath, Gohan committed all to memory.

The warm, strong arms laced around him, pressing him into the solid stomach. He could feel Piccolo breathing, both from his chest rising and falling, to the breath that was rushing against his ear. There was so many things attacking his senses that Gohan was still in a slight daze even when Piccolo finally pulled away.

"So you'll… You'll start visiting again, right?" Gohan finally blurted out, gathering his wits about him.

"Sure, kid," Piccolo smiled, a real smile, at that. Gohan felt his heart flutter at the thought, and his eyelids drooped at the thought of kissing it. He shook his head, though, earning him a curious look from the alien.

"Nothing," he said quickly, rubbing at the back of his head, waving away Piccolo's response. He was totally out of it after that wondrous hug, and decided it was time he headed home before he did or said something he'd thoroughly regret.

He said his good-byes to Piccolo, then hurried off to Dende and Popo. Gohan did pause, momentarily, to apologize to Dende for his earlier outburst, and assured the Guardian that he was only doing what seemed right—and that was protecting a friend. Really, the young Namekian didn't need any other worries to drag him down.

Then Gohan returned home, just to realize that Videl had been texting him all day, attempting to get him to come hang out with them. Smirking, he decided to answer his friend.

'Sorry, went over to Piccolo's place.' He hit send, and couldn't help but laugh as his phone blew up, his friend demanding all the juicy details. Satisfied, he set his phone on the coffee table, pulled out a book, and curled up on the couch, pretending that Piccolo's arms were still around him.

**June 6****th**

Videl was currently sitting on his couch, quizzing him about what had happened while he'd been with Piccolo. He was enjoying himself, giving purposefully vague answers that caused Videl to cry out in anguish.

"Why do you do this to me?" she demanded, arms crossing as she glared at him. "I don't know why you can't just tell me about you and the Pickle."

Gohan choked on his drink at that, sputtering just a bit as he gave an incredulous look to his friend. She smirked, shrugging her shoulders.

"What? You don't like that one? I've been trying to come up with more." Thoughtfully, she tapped her finger against her chin, neither of them hearing a rather audible click. "Big Green Machine, Ickle Pickle, Tall Green and Handsome, y'know, stuff like that."

And suddenly Gohan was staring at the door, where Piccolo was standing, staring at the back of Videl's head. Eyes wide, Gohan attempted to get his friend to stop, waving his hands and pointing behind her. She didn't take note, however, and continued.

"I gotta say, though, it's getting harder! I mean, not as hard as you when you think about him but—"

Gohan felt as if he could never be mortified in his life. Honestly, he'd just gotten the Namekian back into his life, and now this. Deciding he couldn't chance anymore coming out of her mouth, Gohan lurched forward, clamping his hand down across her face.

She jumped back from him. "The hell's wrong with you!" Videl demanded, rising up off the couch. "What's the deal?"

"Perhaps because _Ickle Pickle_ is here," Piccolo ground out, and Gohan bit back the laugh that threatened to come from watching Videl's eyes widen so comically. Her jaw literally dropped, as she whirled around and came face to stomach with the Namekian.

His gaze was cold as he watched her, and Videl actually blushed, nothing to say for once. Gulping, she took a few steps back, fidgeting just the slightest under his heavy gaze. Desperately, she shot Gohan a look that pleaded for help, but all she got was a glib smirk.

"Hey… Piccolo," she greeted, voice ripe with unease as she nervously lifted one hand in greeting.

"Using my name, now?" he prompted, though Gohan could swear there was a tinge of amusement in his tone. And—ah!—there it was. He could see the slight gleam in Piccolo's eyes as he watched Videl fumble over her words.

"Well, you see, just Gohan and I having some fun—y'know?" She laughed, shrugging her shoulders. Slowly, she was settling into the moment, realizing that her life wasn't exactly in danger. "I promise, I call him names that are a _lot_ worse."

"I'm sure," Piccolo really did smirk then, looking to Gohan, who was still thoroughly amused by this whole thing.

Videl followed Piccolo's gaze, and then a shit-eating grin spread across her face. She twirled over to Gohan's side, patted him on the shoulder, and then put on a rather dramatic simper.

"I just saw the time," she sighed, pouting as she did. "Dad and I were going to train together, so I'd better get going!"

Piccolo snorted. "At least someone else understands the importance of training." As childish as it was, Gohan couldn't help but poke his tongue out at the Namekian. "Put that thing back up or I'll blast it."

Videl choked, biting her lip. Gohan flushed, glaring at his friend. She was so unreasonable sometimes! But, she did leave, true to her word. She cast a few lingering glances between the two. Piccolo was standing, looking extremely out of place in Gohan's living room, while the boy was sitting nervously on his couch.

Smiling, she left, and neither spoke until they felt her energy disappear.

"Hi, Piccolo," Gohan greeted—and he was rather thankful that Piccolo had either not heard or ignored the part of Videl proclaiming him 'hard' for his former mentor. The Namekian inclined his head, uncrossing his arms as he took a few steps forward.

"I wasn't kidding," Piccolo said, staring down at Gohan. The boy gulped, noticing his face's proximity to the Namek's more… Private… regions. That, and the domineering stance in which Piccolo was towering over him—it all had him a bit flustered. "You need to train more."

Gohan shifted. "I've been training, actually," he argued, staring up into the green face. "Goten and I have been training—since you disappeared to do your own training." Piccolo shifted slightly at that, relaxing just the tiniest bit.

"You should train with others as well, though, Gohan. Vegeta is an admirable opponent that I think you should seriously consider. His way of fighting is significantly different from your own—it would benefit you greatly."

Gohan almost wanted to roll his eyes. Honestly, here he was living out this magical, romantic subplot in his head about what he and Piccolo could do, while the object of his affections prattled on about different strategies to further on his fighting skills. Though, if Gohan was honest with himself, he found this equally fantastic. Just hearing Piccolo talk was good enough for him.

"I'll keep that in mind," he said, to which Piccolo grunted, obviously pleased that his suggestion was being taken into consideration. "In the meantime—I'm bored."

Piccolo quirked an eyebrow at this proclamation, and shrugged his shoulders. "Then occupy yourself, kid."

Gohan pouted. "I can't, though. There's nothing to do here!"

"Then go out into town," Piccolo suggested, obviously not understanding the dilemma that Gohan was having.

"But you're here!" he argued, leaning back against the couch, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "It's rude to just leave you here!"

Again Gohan was greeted with confusion. "Then I can leave."

"We haven't hung out in over a month, though, Piccolo!" Gohan whined, noticing the twitch of Piccolo's eyebrow. He knew he was being irritating, but he also knew that Piccolo enjoyed his company. He was the one person on this Earth that Piccolo would tolerate almost anything from.

Piccolo merely huffed, glaring down at his pupil. "Then instead of complaining, why not come up with a solution."

Gohan paused for just a moment. It had initially began as teasing, but now he was truly ready to test the limits, and see how far Piccolo was willing to stretch his comfort zone. Narrowing his eyes, Gohan leaned forward, surveying the alien.

"Well… How about you come into town with me?"

Piccolo blinked, before looking away from Gohan. "I draw too much attention—perhaps you can actually pause to remember that I am the Demon King."

Gohan did stop for a moment, but he recovered in an instant. "I know you've gone into town before, so that's no excuse! Mom got you to even try to get a driver's license, Postboy!" Piccolo grimaced at the memories, and waved away Gohan's excitement.

"Only because she provided clothing for me to do so."

"Piccolo, you can create clothes!" Gohan cried in exasperation. To that, the alien merely shifted his stance.

"Only clothes that I can visualize. I have no knowledge of you humans' fashion tastes."

Gohan smiled then. "So, what you're saying is, all I need is to give you an outfit to beam onto yourself?" Piccolo looked rather defeated at Gohan's logical approach to all of this, and thus sighed, shoulders slumping just the slightest bit.

"Fine, fine," Piccolo snapped, glaring a hole into the carpet. "I'll go with you into town—but only this once!" He bared his fangs at Gohan. "And this is only because it's been a while." Gohan could tell the underlying reason there—the 'because I worried you'—but knew Piccolo would never sink so low as to actually say something so mushy.

He smiled, anyways, and dragged Piccolo back to his room. Ignoring the fact that Piccolo was standing his bedroom, eyes roaming over the heavily decorated walls and shelves, he focused on digging into his closet. While none of his clothes would fit Piccolo, he could at least give the Namekian a reasonable idea of what to conjure up.

Finally, Gohan dragged out a plain black long sleeved shirt, and some blue jeans. It was nothing, really, but he figured as long as the means met the ends. He dropped the articles on the bed, before throwing a black beanie on top of them all—to hide the antennae.

He saw Piccolo give the clothes a once over, before closing his eyes, and pointing his fingers to his form. A bright white light lit the room, causing Gohan to blink and look away. Blinking away the dots in his vision, he looked to Piccolo.

Gohan stopped, mentally and physically, taking in everything that was Piccolo. The Namekian now stood there, the black shirt clinging tightly to his skin, actually showing off the muscular form that was hidden beneath the baggy gi he always wore. The jeans were snug on his hips, hugging his thighs, bunching up around Converse—which he'd presumably copied form Gohan's own outfit.

Piccolo scooped up the beanie, and pushed it on his head, covering up his antennae. It rolled up around the base of his neck, all of the dark colors matching wonderfully with the emerald skin. Swallowing, throat feeling a little rough, Gohan dragged his gaze away from the man's resplendent form, noticing that Piccolo was giving him an odd look.

"Does it look weird or something?" Piccolo demanded, narrowing his eyes.

Gohan immediately shook his head, voice a little breathy as he rushed to assure his crush. "No, you look… You look fantastic." That last bit caused his words to hitch in his throat, and Gohan licked his lips, eyes always drawing back to the wondrous form.

Piccolo grunted, though some sort of emotion flickered over his face.

"Are we leaving?" The Namek asked, jolting Gohan from his thoughts.

"Yeah, sorry!" Gohan muttered, looking away from the Namek. "Yeah, let's go."

Gohan exited the book shop, rather pleased at his haul. He'd found several old textbooks that he would love to delve into, and a few other fantasy novels that looked interesting enough. Beside him, Piccolo was looking rather amused at Gohan toddling underneath the pile of books. While not heavy, they were certainly cumbersome.

"Did you really need every single one of those?" Piccolo asked, smirking as he saw the avid look Gohan gave him.

"Of course I did." Gohan switched all the books to one had, precariously balancing them as he clenched his fist. "The world would be nothing without books! Thus, the more you have, the more fulfilled your life is!"

Piccolo rolled his eyes. "Kid. You're ridiculous."

"You know, you've always called me kid," Gohan said, "but you're only four years older than me."

Piccolo huffed. "Semantics. I matured faster, anyhow, so I could defeat your father." The old gleam of challenge came to Piccolo's focused gaze, and Gohan could tell he was somewhere totally different—possibly imagining all the fight he and Goku had had. Their glorious animosity that had simply fizzled out with age.

"You're still close to my age," Gohan teased. The alien decided to ignore his comment. Regardless, Gohan felt a flush of joy rush through him. Piccolo had accompanied him on this little trip, and it had been fantastic. They'd initially walked around downtown, doing what basically amounted to nothing. Gohan had window-shopped mostly, which Piccolo still didn't understand the concept of ("If you're not going to buy it, then why do we keep staring at it, honestly?!"), until they had stumbled across the bookshop.

Now Gohan was wondering what to do next. It was still early enough in the day, and the heat wasn't as oppressive as it normally was. He was rather thankful for that, anyhow, as he'd had to dress Piccolo rather warm. If he was remembering correctly, adverse weather didn't really affect him, but Gohan didn't want to put the theory to test.

"Hey, Piccolo," Gohan said suddenly, earning him a look from the Namek, "would you be opposed to going to see a movie with me?" He tried hard not to think of this as a date, but that was all that kept springing to mind. God, he was such a love-sick idiot.

Piccolo jerked one shoulder, arms crossed over his burly chest, and stretching the shirt so tight that it was almost sinful what Gohan could see. His tongue played with his lips as he felt his fingers tighten against the books he held.

"Sure, kid. Whatever."

It wasn't romantic, but Gohan was rather grateful for it anyways. He immediately cheered aloud, jumping just a bit too high for the average human. A few passer-by gave him an odd glance, to which he readily ignored. He was far too elated to bother worrying about strangers on the street.

He led Piccolo to the local theatre, scanning the advertised posters, squinting his eyes as he debated back and forth. Beside him, Piccolo was stoic, glaring reproachfully at any people that attempted to come close to the pair. Gohan gave him a reassuring smile, humming thoughtfully as he did so.

"Have you ever seen a movie, Piccolo?" Gohan felt compelled to ask, looking to his companion.

Piccolo nodded. "I saw a few—your mother watches them. I never paid them very much attention."

Gohan nodded, shifting his books from one arm to the other as he thought. "All right." Glancing down the row of posters, Gohan suddenly yelped, latching on to one of Piccolo's arms. The alien grunted in shock, looking incredulously down to the demi-Saiyan that had him.

"I can't believe it! I didn't realize this movie was out in theatres!" Gohan whispered in quiet reverence. His eyes were as wide as saucers, and he was dimly aware of Piccolo's confused stares. "It's just—wow! Okay, Piccolo, we have to see this!" Gohan dragged Piccolo forwards with him, ignoring the alien's noises of confusion and dissent.

He marched up to the booth, where he purchased tickets, and continued to pull Piccolo with him as he bought popcorn and drinks. Piccolo was only released when they had to sit down in the chairs. The alien was forced to sit next to Gohan, who was still avidly chatting about his disbelief about seeing 'this movie'.

"_What_ movie? And why is it so important?" Piccolo demanded, one hand gripping the arm rest as he stared down at Gohan. The demi-Saiyan flushed, feeling rather embarrassed that he hadn't even bothered to tell his companion about the movie they'd be watching.

"Ok, well—they've been promising this movie for years! It's a movie for one of my favorite comic book heroes—Skullinator! Basically, aliens invade Earth, and this witch decides she can make the ultimate warrior out of an undead person—so they can't die! So she finds a skeleton and reanimates it and gives it awesome powers. Then they team up to destroy the aliens!"

Piccolo stared at him, blinking slowly. Gohan didn't seem to notice, though, as he set his books down in the seat next to him. There weren't very many people in the theatre, so he figured it would be all right. Satisfied that his books were safe, he took a big slurp of his soda, and tossed back a handful of popcorn.

"Want some?" Gohan prompted, proffering the popcorn to his friend. The Namek quickly declined, still looking incredibly bewildered by the plotline that Gohan had just described. "Feel free to the Coke, too, just in case."

Then the movie started, and Gohan was focused entirely on the screen. A few more people had filtered in throughout the previews, though thankfully none attempted to sit near the duo. Gohan was steadily munching through his popcorn, watching with the intensity of a small child as each scene played out.

It was radically different from the comics, but he couldn't even be bothered to care. It was still amazing to see his favorite character on screen, boney glory on full display. The movie was playing out nice enough, with a bemused Piccolo beside him, obviously not entirely sure of what he was witnessing.

Then there was a sex scene. Gohan choked on his popcorn, sitting back in his seat as he saw the witch and her lover. In the comic book there'd certainly been nothing like this, and Gohan felt distinctly uncomfortable as the noises and visuals filled the theatre. He risked a glance to Piccolo, and noted that the alien was watching with an inscrutable expression on his face.

One particularly loud moan ruptured his thought, and he flushed as he gazed at Piccolo.

After that point, Gohan ate his popcorn with a little less flourish, and watched the movie while reclined back in his seat. His excitement had bled out just a bit, though he did take a small bit of relish when the final battle happened, and Skullinator wiped out the whole legion of aliens.

Once the credits rolled, he rose awkwardly from his seat and stretched, and the Namekian stood beside him. Tilting his head, he looked up to Piccolo, gauging the reaction.

"It was an all right movie," Piccolo said, causing Gohan to jerk backwards just a bit. "You were staring," the alien teased, "it was rather obvious what was on your mind."

Laughing, Gohan shrugged, bending to pick up his books. "Yes well. I suppose I am my father's son."

Piccolo sneered just the slightest bit. "Thank heavens you turned out all the better."

Gohan flushed at that, tightening his grip on the books as he shambled out of the theatre. Piccolo followed him, until they got to the street. Outside, it was getting dark, and he saw from Piccolo's upwards glance that he noticed as well.

"I won't make you stay out any longer," Gohan chuckled, though he felt his stomach churn a bit at their little outing coming to an end.

"I'll walk you home," Piccolo replied, shrugging his shoulders, though Gohan noticed the Namekian didn't quite meet his gaze. Smiling, Gohan allowed the alien to start walking, keeping his pace even behind his friend.

Despite his best efforts, he did allow his gaze to drop. The sight that greeted him caused him to bite his lip, and squash down every dirty thought that swam to the surface as he realized—he'd never really gotten a good look at Piccolo's ass.

It was perverted, wrong, and stupid, but Gohan had just never really seen it through the baggy gi and the ugly pants of Goku's that Piccolo had worn. But now, in the tight jeans that Piccolo had modeled his current outfit after, it was pretty fantastic.

And Gohan was loving the view.

"Why are you walking so slowly?" Piccolo demanded, turning to look at Gohan. Embarrassed at being caught, Gohan sputtered out some half-baked excuse, before rushing to get to Piccolo's side. While he was a bit sad at the loss of the view, he couldn't really bring it within himself to get truly upset.

They finally reached the apartment door, and Piccolo unlocked the door since Gohan's arms were full. Carefully, Gohan lowered the books to the floor, before turning to see Piccolo watching him, something in his expression that Gohan wasn't quite used to.

"Piccolo?" He asked, though he fell silent once the Namekian took a tentative step forward, looking thoroughly confused by his own actions. Gohan merely blinked, and then Piccolo's arms were wrapped around his waist, the larger man stooping to hold him close.

It felt like the breath had been knocked out of him. Gohan took a full two seconds to react, but when he did he returned the hug with gusto, arms immediately latching onto Piccolo's shoulders, biting his lip at the wonderful sensation. The fact that Piccolo had initiated the interaction at all was startling enough in its own right, and Gohan couldn't help the wonderfully warm glow that radiated from his core.

"What brought this on?" Gohan couldn't help but ask, tilting his head a bit. He saw that the tips of Piccolo's ears were a violet. The pleasure it gave him to see that was tremendous, and he felt Piccolo's chest rumble against his own.

"You don't always have to know everything, kid," Piccolo grumbled, releasing his hold on Gohan. By the time the alien pulled back, though, his blush was gone, and Gohan felt a small tremor of regret over the fact that he hadn't witnessed it actually cresting Piccolo's face.

"Sorry, Piccolo, but I kind of do." Gohan laughed, watching as Piccolo rolled his eyes.

"You're an idiot." The alien's voice was still warm, however, and Gohan relished in it.

"Good night, Mr. Piccolo," Gohan smiled, ignoring the dirty look the alien gave him.

"Keep it up, kid. Just wait until I convince you to train with me again. I'll teach you to mock me." Piccolo raised one brow cockily, throwing his pupil a wondrous smirk. Gohan's heart sped up, enjoying the way that Piccolo's gaze lingered on him.

Once Piccolo flew away, Gohan shut his door, and collapsed in a heap on the couch. He flipped open his phone and saw, of course, a slew of messages from Videl. Laughing at a few of them ('so you know I just gave you your first date right?', and 'dad was so confused when I came home—I couldn't tell him I was doing missionary work by getting my exes laid', and 'tell me was the pickle ickle ; )'), Gohan decided to answer her.

'The date went fine. I got a hug. And while I don't know about the pickle, his ass certainly isn't 'ickle'.'

He'd gotten back a message that was pretty much Videl button mashing in excitement.

For once, he could totally agree with what she had typed.

**June 12****th**

Piccolo had been by more and more lately, causing Gohan to fall into a familiar little pattern. If Piccolo showed up in the black shirt—then that meant he was willing to spend the day out in the city. When Piccolo showed up in his gi, however, it meant that Gohan was not to broach the topic, or he would receive a rather firm 'no'.

The other new addition to their interaction were the hugs. There was always one per visit, and that was right as Piccolo was leaving. Gohan cherished every single one, though, and every time tried to make them last as long as humanly possible.

He also had garnered the sneaking suspicion that sometimes Piccolo staid in the apartment even when Gohan wasn't home. Several times he'd come home to Chi Chi's cooking in a Tupperware bowl, with a few dirty utensils in the sink, along with a glass of water sometimes left on the table. Such careless things didn't even upset him, he merely marveled at how adorably endearing it was, to imagine Piccolo sitting in here, by himself.

Gohan wisely never mentioned his suspicions to Piccolo. There was a silent understanding there, that if Gohan were to say anything, such accusations would be avidly denied. He'd almost made jokes about it a few times, though, and had quickly shut any hints towards that down.

Of course, he had told Videl. She'd decided that, yes, it was adorable. Ever since he'd revealed that little tidbit, and of course the hugging, Videl had decided on her own that Piccolo's nicknames were no longer valid. He was strictly 'bae' or 'husband'. Gohan was pretty certain she used those two terms more than the alien's actual name.

Though, Videl had been downright curious to see Piccolo in his street clothes. Ever since Gohan had mentioned how splendid his crush had looked, she'd been harassing him to snap a picture. He had attempted to put her off as much as possible—coming up with many excuses.

Today, though, he decided, perhaps he could actually indulge her, as Piccolo was currently walking beside him down the road. Gohan was leading the way, and had decided not to tell Piccolo of his plans. Honestly it was much easier to get the Namekian to do things when he didn't fully understand what was going on.

"Here we are!" Gohan announced, actually being so bold as to snag Piccolo's hand. Warmth enveloped his palm, and he saw that Piccolo was staring at their joined appendages. Ignoring the dark pit that opened in his stomach, thinking that Piccolo could easily deny him this interaction. The Namekian took it in stride, though, and allowed it continue.

"What is this?" Piccolo asked instead, tilting his head back to stare at the pastel sign that hung from the brick wall. It was a small shop, with pink bricks, and frosted windows, tiny characters drawn on the glass announcing different kinds of flavors within.

This was the first time that Gohan had brought Piccolo somewhere food related—he knew how much Piccolo preferred Chi Chi's cooking to anything else—but had decided to go out on a limb here. Insofar the Namekian had been rather accepting of trying new things, and Gohan hoped this would be no exception.

"This is Melody's House," Gohan stated, fingers twitching lightly against the larger green ones he held. One tip of his finger accidentally touched a claw, and Gohan felt the overwhelming urge to 'accidentally' do it again. "It's a frozen yogurt shop."

Piccolo looked thoroughly confused by those words, and his grip tightened almost imperceptibly in Gohan's hand. Smiling at the tiny motion, he turned his gaze up to Piccolo. Watching that prominent profile, Gohan felt his heart melt.

"Give it a shot, Piccolo?" he prompted, causing the Namekian to look away with a huff.

"Fine."

Gohan beamed at his friend's easy admission, and pulled him forwards.

Inside, the building was a pink monstrosity, with plastic green tables set up at random intervals. At the very back, Gohan could hear the clunk of the machines churning in place, and could already smell all of the candy and possibilities that lay ahead. Giving a small 'mmm' of approval, Gohan turned to Piccolo, noticing the imperceptible twitch of the Namekian's nose.

Gohan guided Piccolo in, ignoring some of the more curious looks from the other patrons. At the machines, Gohan set about pulling down a cup for himself and companion, detailing to Piccolo what they would be doing with these.

Piccolo seemed hesitant, squinting his eyes up at the cup that looked miniature in his hands. Eyes roamed from the cup to Gohan, clearly seeking answers as to what the hell was going on. Biting back a laugh, Gohan started first, pumping as many different flavors as he could into his cup.

Behind him, Piccolo followed suit, though he was much more reserved in his gluttony. The Namekian merely pulled the lever for vanilla, and gave Gohan a look of great distaste when he saw the human's messy cup.

"Jeez, kid, every flavor?" Piccolo grumbled, fingernails digging into the paper.

Gohan smirked, "What can I say? I'm a man of many flavors."

Piccolo rolled his eyes at that, though was shown once more how ridiculous Gohan could be once the boy got to playing with the lever and dials on the candy. Gohan managed to cram as much of his favorite candies into his already full cup. Piccolo, in the meantime, just dashed a few sprinkles on his. It was really the only thing he recognized, if Gohan could judge by the suspicious looks he was throwing the rest of the candy.

The alien did, however, actually reach out an arm, and sprinkle a few of the waffle cone bits into his bowl, furrowing his brow as he watched them hit the dessert.

"Oo… Getting risky there, Piccolo," Gohan teased, poking his former mentor's side. Baring his fangs at him, Piccolo shooed him away.

Once done, they stood at the checkout, where the cashier gave a rather dubious look to Gohan's confection. The boy plopped it down, beaming a rather large smile at her, and dug around in his pocket for money. She weighed his (alone it was already 15 dollars), then moved onto Piccolo's, who proved to be a much more sensible price.

Paying for the dessert, Gohan and Piccolo soon moved to a table, where Gohan immediately dug in to his food. Across the table, he tried not to laugh at his distressed friend, who was awkwardly inhabiting a chair meant for an average sized human. The Namekian balanced uncomfortably on the chair, arms tucked in and shoulders slumped as he dug his spoon into the frozen yogurt.

Gohan was prepared. He actually paused in his eating, withdrew his phone, and pretended to be looking at a message. Piccolo, though, was lifting the spoon up to his mouth, and tentatively opening his lips. At this point, Gohan pressed his thumb against his screen, a loud _click_ filling up the space in between the two.

Piccolo jerked, spoon moving briefly away from his lips as he glared at Gohan.

"Did you just take a picture?" Piccolo demanded, one hand forming into a fist on the table.

"Yes," Gohan answered, feeling that honesty was the best policy in this scenario, really. While Piccolo was rarely cross with him, he had a niggling suspicion that lying just might do it. "It's just… Videl wanted to see a picture of you in your human clothes," he fumbled to continue, noticing that Piccolo's dark expression hadn't changed. "Well, that… and I like… having pictures of… you…"

Gohan bit his lip at that admission, despite the fact that he knew the Namekian would not pick up on the actual importance of that fact. The alien understood Earth customs well enough, but he wouldn't full appreciate the fact that it meant a lot for someone to continuously want to see you in such a fashion.

Indeed, Piccolo was blinking at him, and Gohan could see minute disturbances underneath the beanie, letting him know full and well that the antennae beneath were moving. His head tilted to the side, and while Gohan watched, Piccolo actually took his first bite of the frozen yogurt.

Smiling warmly at this, Gohan began eating his once more.

"So, you like it?" Gohan asked, noticing that Piccolo had let their previous line of discussion end. Not wanting to pick up the tattered ends of that, he forged onward.

Piccolo nodded. He seemed to pause for a moment, letting the flavors roll across his tongue, Gohan watching avidly as he saw the Namekian's cheeks hollow and swell.

"It is reminiscent of ice cream," Piccolo confided, poking at it with his spoon.

"I didn't know you'd had ice cream," Gohan replied, looking up into the alien's eyes.

Piccolo shrugged, smirking. "Perhaps there's many things you don't know, braniac." With that, Piccolo leaned forward, and actually flicked Gohan's forehead. Immediately, Gohan felt his face heat up, but he quickly turned to his yogurt, and attempted to ignore the warmth radiating throughout his chest.

He felt like he had to be imagining the fact that Piccolo… _the Piccolo Daimao_… had just done something _flirtatious._

Ridiculous, Gohan told himself, and chastised himself for even allowing himself to think along those lines. He really was getting his hopes up for nothing. After all, he knew Piccolo better than anyone, and never once in all their years together could he have imagined Piccolo do anything mildly playful.

And that was his mantra for the night, 'ridiculous', to which he made sure to repeat over and over in his head so as to keep the fresh reminder in his head. There was no way in hell he was going to get excited over something as simple as a flick to the forehead—what was he, a thirteen year old girl?

Despite it all, whenever he and Piccolo arrived back at Gohan's apartment, there was the now-familiar routine of a hug before the alien left. As usual, Gohan spread his arms wide, and Piccolo returned the gesture, albeit a little more restrained. Whenever the larger form's warmth enveloped him, Gohan released a rather heavy sigh of relief, and melted into the embrace.

It was strictly platonic, he told himself, ignoring the way it was lasting longer than usual, and the fact that his hands were at Piccolo's hips, warm palms pressing there.

The Namekian didn't say anything. He also didn't pull away.

Piccolo merely pulled back just the slightest, glancing down as he did so to where Gohan's hands were. The demi-Saiyan prepared to retract them, even had a few apologies ready at hand, but his words died in his throat as Piccolo let his own hands fall to Gohan's hips as well.

His brain stopped working.

Piccolo's hands were large, completely encompassing Gohan's waist, with the finger tips almost touching just above his bottom. Gulping, he could feel the Namekian's fingers dangerously close to where his tail had once been. There was also the fact that with his own hands residing on his former mentor, that meant that Piccolo's burly forearms were also brushing against his own skin. While sleeves denied full contact, the warmth was still there.

Deep, shaky breaths rattled Gohan's chest, and he looked slowly up into Piccolo's eyes. His gaze was met evenly, and Gohan didn't quite know what to do at this point. This was a rather big leap, and he didn't know if Piccolo understood what this meant, or if he'd simply been mirroring Gohan's own actions.

"Good night, kid," Piccolo murmured, but he didn't move quite yet. Gohan ended up being the one to break contact, pulling his hands away as he took a few steps back, and running a hand uneasily through his spikes.

"Good night to you too, Piccolo," his voice was a farce. He didn't know what the hell was happening, and couldn't seem to get his words to at least pretend he did. It didn't matter much, though.

Piccolo had taken flight, and Gohan simply watched him go.

Once the Namekian was out of sight, Gohan simply shut the door, and went to bed.

**June 13****th**

Piccolo sat at Chi Chi's table, with the woman plopping a plate of pancakes in front of him. She slid him silverware as well, before returning herself to the task of setting her own plate. He stared, blankly, at the food in front of him.

A minute look of concern crossed Chi Chi's features as she seated herself, pouring syrup across her own plate. Scooping up her cutlery, she scooted in, and started to cut up her food.

"Piccolo," she said slowly, not wanting to alarm the alien, "is something bothering you?"

"No," he snapped, bunching up one of his hands into fists, glaring across the table. "And it's of no concern to you anyhow."

Chi Chi gave a disdainful sniff. "If it's no concern of mine, then please feel free to get out of my kitchen—the less the merrier, trust me." Her eyes narrowed in return, and Piccolo merely averted his gaze. He still looked furious, but now he wasn't directing it at her.

To be honest, he was incredibly frustrated with a member of the Son family—it just wasn't her. He had no clue what was going on in his brain, and he couldn't seem to get it to want to behave when it was around a certain demi-Saiyan.

Dismally, he cut into his pancakes, taking a few measured bites as he stared at nothing in particular. He was rather appreciative of the fact that Chi Chi seemed to be taking the hint, and was currently busying herself with her breakfast.

Despite the fact that the two didn't get along on the surface, he did feel a bit of kinmanship to the strange Earthling. He actually respected her—her ferocity and general attitude. While she may not have been the strongest, he knew she was a reasonable contender if you removed all of the aliens from the mix. That, and she was a breath of fresh air from Goku's happy-go-lucky ragtag band.

However, it was her son that was posing the problem now.

He supposed he could always ask her opinion on things, but he didn't really understand how to go about it. Sure, he'd been around the kid's entire life, but he and Chi Chi didn't exactly discuss his feelings nor his actions towards Gohan. There had been a point where she'd detested the very thought of him being on the same planet as her darling babies. Thankfully, they'd evolved past that.

Now she allowed him to train Goten, and even seemed supportive of his growing part in her children's lives. Goten was rather like what Piccolo imagined having a child was like—they were energetic and ridiculous, constantly trying his nerves as he attempted to get the tyke to behave and learn. So he'd gone to Chi Chi multiple times, discussing the boy's growth, and how he was doing.

Yet with Gohan… There had never been that paternal bond. Not the kind that he had for Goten. And thus he was at a loss entirely for what to do. Chatting up Chi Chi about Gohan's strange new behavior (and Piccolo's reciprocation of said behavior) didn't seem to be so easily forthcoming.

Groaning, Piccolo placed his head in his hands, setting his fork down after a measly two bites. He certainly loved Chi Chi's cooking, but he couldn't seem to manage it right now.

Chi Chi noticed that he was close to caving, and actually decided to take the initiative now.

"Piccolo," she tutted, in the motherly voice she could always muster, "seriously, what's the matter? I know you're not one for sharing, but you should know bottling up your emotions is never good."

"You'd have that mentality, with your idiot of a husband," Piccolo snarled, raising his head just the slightest to meet her gaze.

"Now, now," Chi Chi giggled, looking a little more terrifying than normal as she slowly lifted her fork. She clenched her fingers around it, pointing the tips to Piccolo. "Let's watch the Goku banter, shall we?"

"Fine," Piccolo snapped, jerking his head the other direction as he dug his nails into the table. "It's not even that one that's bothering me."

Chi Chi arched an eyebrow at that little admission, and Piccolo inwardly cursed himself for allowing that to slip.

"That one?" she prompted, returning to her food, carefully looking anywhere but directly at him.

He sighed. "Yes, that one. Gohan has been acting strange," he grunted, not really sure if this was the right way to approach it. Though, it was already happening, whether he wanted it to or not. Once Chi Chi got her claws into something, there was no taking it back.

"How so?" Chi Chi demanded, her pretenses dropping the moment one of her babies was mentioned. Her eyes were immediately focused on the uncomfortable alien, her fingers tightening around her silverware. The bite of pancake she'd been working on was forgotten, speared there, reminding Piccolo of what she could do with that thing.

"He's been having me go into town with him," Piccolo finally admitted, scrunching up his nose as he admired the wood grains in the table. "On top of that, he has been hugging me again. And he's taken two pictures of me to send to Videl for some odd reason—something about it being his 'background'?" He said the word with a confused air, still not entirely sure what the hell that was. Piccolo did stop himself there, however.

He could have certainly told her about Gohan's masturbation incident (which Piccolo was trying very hard to completely forget), or about the duo's antics last night. But, he kept quiet. Both felt incredibly personal—though they were certainly for different reasons. While the masturbating he understood humans want to keep things revolving around their genitalia private, Piccolo felt like last night's scene was personal for an entirely different reason.

There had been something about where their hands had been, and how their eyes had met, that made Piccolo rather reluctant to discuss it with Chi Chi.

As it was, the woman was already giving him a stare that made him incredibly uncomfortable. It looked like a cross between satisfaction and confusion—with just a tiny bit of anger at the edges. Her eyes were scrunched up, lines showing at the corners, and her nose wrinkled just the tiniest bit. She did have a small smile, though, and was looking rather thoughtful for it all.

"I see…" was all she said, though, and Piccolo wanted to complain about how unfair that really was. How could she demand answers out of him, then deny him that same right? He refrained, since in the past all that complaints had gotten him with Chi Chi were a good wallop from the frying pan.

Sure, it didn't hurt _physically_, but the Namekian did feel his pride shrivel up and die a little bit every time it happened.

"Well, it certainly explains some things," Chi Chi finally said, finishing her breakfast. Across the table, Piccolo was doing much the same. He did pause just a moment, though, when she finally began speaking again.

"Explains what?" he finally asked, cocking one eye ridge up.

"Oh, just who Gohan's crush is." At that her voice sounded mildly faint, and Piccolo didn't fully understand what the hell that was supposed to mean. Chi Chi looked thoroughly done with the conversation, and Piccolo decided not to further antagonize her for answers. He already had enough going on without prying into every little thought that flashed across Chi Chi's mind.

He finished his breakfast, and Chi Chi took his plate, sidling over to the sink as she rinsed off the plates. Piccolo stood, gathering his cloak about him as he headed towards the door.

"Piccolo, dear?" Chi Chi suddenly spoke up, staring at the window as the tap water ran.

"What?" The Namekian snarled, not liking the familiarity with which she addressed him.

"Do you… mind the hugging, or the hanging out at all? Is that why you mentioned it as your problem?"

Piccolo hesitated. "No," he finally admitted, shrugging his shoulders as crossed his arms. "It doesn't bother me." Saying it out loud seemed so pathetic, and he didn't like how out of it Chi Chi look in the moment.

"Good, good," she mumbled back, before she turned, fixing him with a full on glare. "Just know this, Romeo, if you hurt my baby, I hurt you."

Piccolo blinked, taking a small step back as he stared at the incredulous woman in front of him. He really didn't know how to process what she'd just said (_the hell was a Romeo?_) and so instead merely gave her a shaky nod of his head.

She seemed to accept that as a form of answer. Chi Chi tucked one piece of black hair up behind her ear, and set out on doing the dishes once more.

Confused as hell, Piccolo took his leave.

Really, why did every member of the Son household have to be such a damn enigma?

**June 20****th**

Gohan stood on the stoop of his apartment, towel wrapped around his shoulders, with black hair dripping down his body. Videl had just dropped him off from a rather fun day with her, Sharpner, and Erasa, which had consisted of them taking the full advantage of the Satan household's numerous activities. From movies, to video games, and all the way out to the pool, it had been a wonderful time.

Now, though, Gohan was staring dismally at his front door, realizing with a quickness that he had forgotten his keys at home this morning. After all, his soggy swim trunks weren't coughing one up at him, and he certainly didn't have another place to hide one.

Groaning, he glared at the door. While he really shouldn't be blaming inanimate objects for his own negligence, he couldn't help but feel like the door should take one for the team. He always supposed he could rip the thing off its hinges—would serve it right for locking when he didn't have his key—but then he figured he'd also be facing a hefty fine from the apartment complex.

Frustrated, he flopped down, and considering calling Videl. But, as fate would have it, he'd left that inside with his keys. His dismay with all things not living was mounting as the moments went by. Cradling his head in his hands, he briefly considered actually going to the front office, and seeing if they'd be able to let him in.

Chewing thoughtfully on his nails, he considered if he wanted to actually pay the fine for that to happen. He wasn't exactly loaded down with money right now, and he may or may not have spent more than he should have between paying Videl back and taking Piccolo out on what were certainly not dates.

He was currently debating over his financial situation, when he heard footsteps approaching. Sighing, he assumed it was one of his neighbors, curious as to why a wet, half-naked man was sitting around outside in front of the apartment building.

His assumptions were proven wrong, though, when he finally lifted his gaze, and was met with piercing black eyes.

"Piccolo," Gohan said, rather surprised as he craned his neck back to stare into his crush' face. It was indeed the rather large Namekian, albeit a rather confused one. He was in his street clothes for the day, and Gohan couldn't help but feel his mouth water as he imagined several different "neighbor boy" fantasies.

"The hell are you doing sitting out here?" Piccolo demanded, crossing his arms as he stared down his nose. Gohan slowly rose to his feet, offering up a rather sheepish shrug. "And why…?" Piccolo didn't even need to finish his sentence, he merely gave a vague wave in Gohan's general direction.

He got the hint.

"I was out swimming with Videl and some friends," Gohan admitted, rubbing at the back of his head, sprinkling a few stray drops of water down his body. He felt droplets rolling their way down his chest, along with quite a few curling up at the small of his back. It was all very uncomfortable, and he felt extremely exposed in the Namek's presence.

Piccolo seemed to be waiting for more.

"Oh!" Gohan laughed, "That and I locked myself out of the apartment. Speaking of… Think you could let me in, Piccolo?"

The Namekian rolled his eyes. "I don't think I should. This could be a lesson in—how would your mom put it?—being more responsible."

"Aw c'mon, Piccolo, you never cared much about that," Gohan was whining, but he was still grinning like a fool.

Piccolo snorted in turn. "I don't know…" He smirked down at Gohan, whose spine immediately straightened. "How about this? You actually train with me—_like you promised_—and I'll let you into your apartment." The alien narrowed his eyes at that, looking triumphant as hell.

Gohan gulped, fingers intertwining nervously as he regarded the alien. "Piccolo, I don't know if that's such a good idea…"

"Well it's the only one you're getting," Piccolo snapped, looking highly offended that Gohan had went so far as to deny his request. The boy drew back slightly, holding up inoffensive hands in surrender. It seemed to calm the alien momentarily, but Gohan could still fill his heart pulsing.

"Can't you let me in first, so I can get my clothes?" Gohan pleaded, to which Piccolo abruptly shook his head.

"You don't need more clothes to spar, Gohan. The less the better, really," at that Piccolo was smirking again, and Gohan clenched his eyes shut. He couldn't possibly be getting aroused right now—not from some ill placed comment that Piccolo didn't even understand the ramifications of.

Sucking in a deep breath, Gohan fought for control, heaving his chest as he met Piccolo's avid gaze.

"Fine." Gohan agreed, giving a sharp nod of his head. "One quick round Piccolo."

"Don't be so cocky kid," Piccolo teased, rising slowly off the ground. Gohan dimly noted that Piccolo was planning to fight in his street clothes. "I plan on keeping you busy for a good little while." Then the alien was shooting off, and Gohan felt his knees go a little weak at that last bit.

Piccolo had to be the biggest tease for someone who had no idea what the hell they were saying.

Slumping his shoulders just a bit, Gohan gripped his towel for support, and took off, ready to meet Piccolo on the battlefield.

His feet barely touched the ground when Piccolo swung a punch at him, obviously testing Gohan's reflexes. And, admittedly, they were little rusty.

That being said, Piccolo's fist nailed him pretty hard, and sent the young man spiraling backwards, grunting as rocks and dirt pelted into his backside. Groaning, he pushed himself up, glaring at the Namekian. Piccolo met his gaze, simply standing upright as he regarded Gohan. He'd discarded his beanie at some point and his antennae were flapping in the wind.

"Jeez, Piccolo, you're really itching for a fight, aren't you?" Gohan griped, rising to his feet. Their scenery was the same as always—some abandoned wasteland in the middle of nowhere, safe for them to completely go all out in any way they pleased.

"You need it more than me," the alien retorted, striding forward. "After all, you really shouldn't be just sitting here talking." And before Gohan could even process what was really happening, he was treated to Piccolo's triumphant smirk, and a foot colliding with his face.

This time Gohan maintained his position, managing to grab Piccolo's foot even as the sole of his shoe pressed roughly against Gohan's nose. He did stop to admire the alien's long legs, clad rather splendidly in jeans, before he focused once more on the battle.

He tightened his grip, and slung Piccolo's leg off to the side, delving in to deliver several punches to the alien's exposed ribcage. In turn he got a knee to the stomach, along with an elbow drop on the back of his skull.

A noise very similar to _oof!_ escaped him, but Gohan rolled forward, dodging between Piccolo's legs. He shot between the alien's knees, rising up behind him. Piccolo went to turn, but not before Gohan wrapped his arms around his mentor, squeezing him tight, trapping his arms to his sides.

Piccolo grunted, writhing in Gohan's gasp.

"What's wrong Piccolo—in a tight spot?" Gohan chuckled, face pressing awfully close to Piccolo's shoulder blades. He could feel each and every shift of muscle beneath the fabric, and those bones in particular were making themselves known.

"Bite me, kid," Piccolo snarled, jerking one leg back, deftly kicking Gohan in his thigh. Wincing, Gohan buckled just the slightest, allowing Piccolo to turn fully in his embrace. There was a small moment where Gohan was face to face with Piccolo, he felt his heart elevate its pace. Those shining black eyes were looking into him, and that broad smile was just inches away from his own lips and…

Piccolo head-butted the shit out of him.

Gohan yelped, releasing Piccolo in an instant, clutching at his throbbing cranium. He gave a low, tremulous moan as he rubbed at his forehead, already feeling a sizable lump forming from where the Namekian had deemed fit to unite their skulls.

Caught up in his headache, Gohan didn't notice Piccolo swing one leg out, hitting the back point of Gohan's knees. The boy crumbled, hitting the dirt—again—and decided this time he wasn't quite ready to get back up.

He slumped over there, elbows pressing into the ground, peering up at Piccolo as he crinkled up his eyes. The Namekian was staring down at him, face impassive as he regarded his sparring partner. Eventually, once he recognized that Gohan wasn't getting up, Piccolo actually crouched down next to him, quirking one eye ridge.

"Didn't think I hit you that hard, kid," was the teasing response, and Gohan gulped when he saw the tip of Piccolo's tongue playing with the wicked point of one of his teeth.

"Please," Gohan snorted, tilting his head. "You got in one dirty shot—and I didn't really feel up to sparring anyways!"

"So bratty," Piccolo tutted. "You sound like the whiny little kid you used to be."

"Aw c'mon, _Mister_ Piccolo, I'm not that bad!" Gohan whined. "I just wanted to go home and change—but no. My alien best friend had to come knock the crap out of me first."

Piccolo was silent for just a moment, staring rather hard at Gohan.

"What?" the boy demanded, feeling rather self-conscious. That stare was penetrating, and he didn't really know what it was for.

"Nothing," Piccolo waved it off, rising to his feet. The Namekian even extended out a hand to help Gohan, large green palm ready for the taking. Gohan smiled, and placed his hand within Piccolo's. Of course, Piccolo's easily overtook his own, and could wrap completely around his. Gohan found he didn't really mind.

The Namekian pulled him to his feet, but Gohan didn't retract his hand.

"See, this is why you need to train more," Piccolo pointed out, warm fingers still holding tight.

Gohan shrugged, looking rather complacent. "I'm not one for fighting, Piccolo, you know this."

"Yes, but what if something were to happen, Gohan? I understand that you're not like your father and Vegeta—however the responsibility is still there." Piccolo was staring at him, the gaze firm, but face was curiously soft. There was an upwards tilt to his eyebrow ridges that Gohan wasn't familiar with, and his mouth was open in a soft 'o'.

Gohan gulped, shifting closer so their joint hands touched wrist to wrist. It was moments like this where he almost wished he and the Namekian were the same height. While looking up to Piccolo had become natural throughout his years, it'd be nice to simply look at the alien.

"I know Piccolo," Gohan was muttering, eyes roaming slowly over every inch of his crush's face. "I know that if father and Vegeta fail, it's up to me to protect Earth."

Piccolo grunted, quickly casting his gaze away from Gohan.

"That's not…." Piccolo groaned, looking thoroughly frustrated and unsure of himself. Gohan was unused to seeing him in such a state, and went to release the alien's hand. Perhaps physical contact was upsetting him—he knew how Piccolo felt about 'mushy' stuff and human contact.

Yet when Gohan went to release Piccolo's hand, he was only held tighter.

Blinking, Gohan looked to Piccolo, who, to his surprise, what looked like a rather fervid blush staining his features. Shocked, Gohan merely stared, willing his jaw to stay closed in his awe at seeing this, in such wondrous lighting. The sun behind them was creating the perfect ambiance to view Piccolo in, and Gohan was eternally grateful to nature in this little bubble of time.

"I mean," Piccolo bit out, very purposefully not looking at Gohan, "that I don't want something to happen to you—after all, if you're unprepared…" Gohan bit the inside of his cheek, wondering if at any moment he was going to wake up and discover this had all been a dream.

He did notice how confused and distressed Piccolo was, though, and without thinking, brought his free hand up to the side of Piccolo's face. His palm coalesced the alien's cheek, fingers touching the sharp planes of the Namekian.

Piccolo jolted, eyes darting over to Gohan. Their gazes were locked, and he could feel an almost imperceptible tightening of the fingers surrounding his hand in that moment. He took it as a good sign that Piccolo hadn't withdrawn the moment he touched him, and decided to proceed, running his thumb in a smooth circle—a trick Chi Chi had used when the boys were little.

"Piccolo—I'll start training again." Gohan stated it simply, matter-of-factly, and tried to ignore the swirling sensation in his stomach as he realized how truly intimate this moment was. "School is very important to me, though. More important than fighting." Piccolo nodded, and the blush that Gohan had found so mesmerizing had faded. "However, I do see what you mean. As long as there are Saiyans here on Earth, it'll never be safe. There will always be new challengers."

Gohan smiled then, and tilted his side. "I guess its good idea for me to be ready, yeah?"

"Yeah," Piccolo grunted, and he finally withdrew from Gohan's ministrations. Initially, Gohan had imagined that he'd be rather upset at the loss of contact—but strangely, he just felt a calming sensation. A small, contented smile stretched across his face.

"All right," Gohan slowly rose from the ground, and saw Piccolo following suit. "Now, if it's all the same to you, I'd like to go home and get some clothes on!"

Piccolo snorted, and the two headed towards the apartment.

**June 21****st**

Videl heaved a gigantic yawn, arching her whole back as she did. Smacking her lips, she rubbed steadily at her eyes, and leaned over to where her phone was blinking several different messages at her. She flipped open her phone, and stared dully at the message that Gohan had apparently sent her last night.

Honestly, she almost had to roll her eyes at how naïve her friend could be, since all that blinked up at her was 'Had a fantastic night! I'll tell you more later—I touched his face'.

God, he was such a dork!

**Please let me know what you think in a review!**


	4. July

**I would like to say thank-you for all the wonderful reviews, they seriously mean the world to me!**

**July 5****th**

"You really are smitten," Videl teased, sitting next to Gohan on the park bench. The two had opted to have a nice little day out, mosying around the local park. It was very picturesque, and Gohan felt it so appeasing to be sitting here, the summer breeze hot on his neck as the fountain gurgled in the center. He could hear children laughing and playing off to the right, along with the ever familiar chirrup of cicadas renting the air.

It all made him feel at peace, even though he really, really wasn't.

Ever since that night with Piccolo, he couldn't calm his nerves. Whenever he would go to sleep at night, he'd just picture Piccolo's cheeks pressed so softly into his own hands. There had been something in that moment that Gohan just couldn't full conceptualize.

Videl was helping, though.

"Gohan, I really think you should just confess to him." She stated it so simply, taking a sip out of her drink. Screwing the bottle cap back again, she tilted her head, watching him. His face could only be described as 'thoroughly put-out'.

"Videl, it's just not that simple," he began, knowing good and well what was coming.

"But it _is_!" Videl cried, tossing her head back in a dramatic fashion. "Honestly! It's obvious you have feelings for him—and I think he has them for you. I mean, we dated for _three years_ and I can't remember you caressing my face in the dying sunlight."

Gohan spluttered indignantly at that, but Videl waved him off, rolling her eyes.

"Look, I'm not saying that's what I wanted or expected from you—I'm just saying that you two are obviously head over heels for one another." She huffed. "You're both just idiots."

"I know how I feel," Gohan replied, shrugging his shoulders, and staring rather morosely at a few ducks that waddled through the park, pecking up little tidbits from the grass. "The problem is Piccolo. Videl… I'm perfectly happy with him never accepting my feelings. I'm content to go on and continue my life with Piccolo never once giving me anything in return."

Videl was watching him, eyes soft as she let him continue.

"What I don't want, though, is to lose him. And I'm afraid that if he rejects me—that I wouldn't be able to face him." He scrubbed at his face, feeling all of it tumbling out. "Piccolo—he'd probably just grunt something about human emotions and how I'll grow out of it," Gohan waved a dismissive hand, "but I don't want to hear that. I know I'm just being stupid, and taking his kindness for granted. I just don't want to hear it."

"Gohan…" Videl didn't say anything else, though, and merely placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. He gave her a rather sad smile, nodding his head just a bit. She allowed him to lean into her for just a moment, her comforting rather nice in this moment.

For once Videl didn't press the subject, and didn't make plenty of jokes that would have him squirming for hours after.

No, for once Videl just sat there, humming softly under her breath, and holding him like he'd seen friends in movies do.

And that spoke volumes.

**July 10****th**

Gohan was had come by for the past few days, actually using the Gravity Room—albeit with Vegeta's supervision. At first it had been grueling, and he was unable to keep up with even Trunks and Goten (Gohan still wasn't sure how those two got permission to be in there).

Eventually, though, he'd managed to continue on, push-ups and ki blasts galore. Then Vegeta had begun implementing distractions, sending robots flying at Gohan, and allowing the two younger boys free reign to mess up Gohan however they felt necessary.

The Saiyan deemed that it was necessary training.

Gohan was just pretty sure Vegeta sucked.

When it came to actual sparring, Gohan had initially lost to Vegeta.

In the most brutal fashion.

However, on the fifth day, he'd actually managed to put Vegeta down into a hold, and had thus gotten better. While the Saiyan had indeed been a little grumpy at Gohan's progress, he'd also grudgingly admitted his pride at his success.

Now, he was rolling on his eighth day, and he was actually helping Goten and Trunks with their form. The two had enough raw talent between them, they just needed serious lessons in restraint. Though, to Gohan, the biggest thing was that Vegeta had deemed him worthy of actually assisting his son. Long exposure to Earthlings had certainly affected the Saiyan prince.

It felt good to be depended on.

But it was getting late in the afternoon, and Gohan decided he wanted time to go home and shower. He quickly said good-bye to the boys, then shot around to say farewell to Bulma. After that, he took to the skies, heading towards his apartment.

When he finally reached it, he popped open the door, wiping sweat from his brow.

He was immediately hit by the smell of food.

Blinking in surprise, Gohan looked over the counter into the kitchen, where he saw Piccolo. The Namekian was in his purple gi, broad shoulders rolling with his movements. When the alien looked up, a smile overtook his face, and Gohan felt as if he'd been punched in the gut.

"You were out training, were you not?" Piccolo asked, one antenna twitching. Gohan's eyes stayed locked on that.

"Yeah," Gohan mumbled. Piccolo in his kitchen preparing food was doing weird things to his heart (and body). "Mom's cooking?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Those were obviously not the alien's Tupperware bowls that he was currently dishing food out of.

"Yes," Piccolo answered anyways, and Gohan was rather glad. "I didn't know if you'd be here tonight or not—so I was going to eat and wait a bit." The easy admission made Gohan's chest flutter, a sappy smile spreading over his face as he regarded the Namekian.

"I'd like to join you—but I have to go take a shower first," Gohan said. He wondered if Piccolo could smell him. He really hoped not.

Then he chastised himself because Piccolo had literally spent his whole entire life training and fighting, and obviously was no stranger to B.O.—especially not if he'd trained with Goku.

"Go on ahead," Piccolo chuckled, wrinkling his nose just a bit. "I'm having flashbacks to your father." The joke caught Gohan off guard, and he blinked, before laughing. The very thing he'd feared Piccolo noticing—and here he was legitimately laughing at him.

God he was so love sick.

Gohan quickly ran to the shower, and cleaned himself in record time—though it would have been quicker had he not felt the need to relieve a pressing matter—and hurriedly shot back into his room. The towel was firmly around his waist, as he bit his lip, staring at his clothing.

Part of him wanted to dress nice for Piccolo's visit, but with how late it was in the night, he didn't really see much reason in wearing anything that wasn't pajamas. Caught in his dilemma, Gohan stared at both piles of folded clothes, debating.

Then he resisted the urge to smack himself in the face as he reminded himself that Piccolo wouldn't give a damn what he wore. Honestly!

Throwing on his favorite Skullinator pajama bottoms, and a plain black tanktop, Gohan finally rejoined Piccolo. The alien was sitting calmly at the table, fingernails drumming softly against the wood as he did nothing in particular.

Once Gohan's entrance was noted, however, Piccolo rose once more, and set about heating up the dinner Chi Chi had made. Gohan smiled, sitting down as he watched Piccolo move—rather graceful for someone who had no clue what was going on.

Piccolo seemed to sense Gohan's gaze, mistaking it for curiosity. "Your mother taught me how to heat up food," he admitted, back facing Gohan as he worked. "She felt that it was an important skill—especially once she found out I was visiting you."

Gohan bit his lip, finding it rather comical to imagine his mother bossing Piccolo around the kitchen, telling him what to do. He knew Piccolo was far too sassy for his own good sometimes, and that just made it all the better.

With the warmed food in hand, Piccolo set their plates down, and seated himself, ignoring the ridiculous zeal that Gohan put into eating his own food. The boy had already gone through three helpings by the time Piccolo finished his one—and he saw the Namekian shaking his head in astonishment.

"Piccolo, you've known Saiyans for going on _thirty_ years now!" Gohan admonished, shaking his head. "Shouldn't you be used to this?"

"Long time exposure does not mean acceptance," Piccolo griped, rolling his eyes.

Gohan merely shrugged, and stuffing his face as he went. He did pause, however, to eyeball the clock across the room, noting that it was already eight. Swallowing his food, he tightened his grip on his fork, wondering just how long Piccolo was willing to stay tonight.

Piccolo seemed completely comfortable, however, and was scooping up plates, and dumping them in the sink. Gohan followed with the last of his plates, pausing as he realized his proximity to Piccolo. The alien merely leaned one hip against the counter, gaze meeting Gohan's.

"Something the matter?" Piccolo prompted, Gohan staring avidly at his lips.

"No," Gohan said the word slow, dragging out the syllable as he was entranced by Piccolo.

The alien seemed to hesitate for just a small moment, brow contracting as his antennae drooped. He was staring hard at Gohan, watching the boy for any hint. Apparently Piccolo found his answer, and in one big, jerky moment, pressed his rather large hand to the side of Gohan's face.

Gohan's eyes widened, completely numb aside from the flame in his cheek as Piccolo's palm sat there. The longer his hand stayed there, the more Piccolo seemed unsure of himself, until he finally jerked his hand back, looking a little bewildered by his own antics.

In fact, Piccolo was staring at his hand as if it had betrayed him, before the alien swallowed rather audibly.

Gohan watched his throat move.

"That's what you did when something was bothering me, right?" Piccolo's voice was hoarse, eyes boring into Gohan's skull.

Gohan gulped. "Yeah… Thank-you, Piccolo," he mumbled in response, not really sure what the hell kind of alternate universe he'd stepped into, in which Piccolo was posted up by his counter, touching his face in such a casual manner.

"Whatever, kid," Piccolo grunted. He was obviously insecure in this moment, utterly lost and unsure of where to go now.

Gohan took it upon himself to go from there. He was obviously the more experienced one in these situations—whatever the hell that was worth—so he took a slow step forward, their chests almost touching. Hesitantly, he reached down, and clasped Piccolo's wrist. The alien allowed the contact, watching as Gohan slowly dragged his hand back up, pressing his cheek into the warmth.

Piccolo was staring, and Gohan saw that his mouth was open, just the slightest bit.

"It felt nice, Piccolo," he assured, feeling the fingers curling up around his ears, claws scratching just the slightest as his scalp. And it did. It felt so wonderful, that he could smell and feel the Namekian so wholly that it made his heart ache for what could be.

He closed his eyes, just for the moment, wanting to fully revel in the experience.

Piccolo allowed it, until Gohan finally released his hand. It fell to the alien's side, completely limp. They both sat there, staring at each other, obviously unsure of where to go from this point onwards. There was a certain amount of tension in the air, and Gohan could practically feel it crackling along his skin like electricity.

"Does… Does Dende want you home soon?" Gohan asked suddenly, offering Piccolo a way out if the alien felt too stressed. He didn't want to pressure Piccolo, and make him stay somewhere he didn't feel okay in. This was the easiest way—a way for him not to feel as if he were hurting Gohan in actually leaving.

"No."

Gohan jerked at that, staring up into Piccolo's face. He'd fully been expecting the alien to split after his weird little moment—but no. Piccolo was standing there, face set, looking down into Gohan's eyes, unwavering.

"I told him I'd be spending time with you today—but not for how long."

Gohan felt his throat becoming dry, but he coughed, and faked a smile that he was sure looked horrendously forced across his face.

"Cool," he had croaked, rubbing at the back of his throat. "I uh—I'm gonna go put in a—a uh—a video game."

Piccolo nodded, following Gohan as they went into the living room.

Gohan gamed in silence for a while, really not ready to invest into speaking. He was afraid of what he would say—that everything thing that he'd told Videl would go out the window and he's spill his guts everywhere.

Piccolo's mere presence inside the apartment was enough to send his mind reeling, and he couldn't figure out what to do. Nothing added up in his mind—nothing seemed right. Pretending that they hadn't gotten more intimate was definitely out the window. Yet he couldn't say with certainty that Piccolo was even attempting to start this close relationship. Insofar the Namekian had just copied actions that Gohan had previously done, after all.

He was glum.

And it obviously showed.

"Gohan," Piccolo interrupted his game, and Gohan wasn't even upset. He paused it, turning to stare at the alien occupying the couch.

Their gazes held. Silence stretched between them.

Piccolo was just sitting there, and Gohan could see the flicker of emotions happening just below the mask. It was something he'd gotten better at as the years wore on—after all, he and Piccolo would never have grown close at all were he to just simply take everything the Namekian said and did at face value.

"That game—what is it?"

Gohan blinked.

Of all the things he'd expected from the alien, which was certainly not it. Since Piccolo never had a reason to actually concern himself with what humans did, it was completely out of the blue. So, stumbling over his words, Gohan formulated an answer.

"It's a really old dungeon crawler—," he stopped there, already noticing the confused look on his friend's face. "Ok. It's a game where you pick a class of character; like warrior, Valkyrie, archer, whatever, and you battle through all these different realms. In the realms you find crystals that unlock more realms, and you find Runestones that let you battle the boss."

Piccolo looked completely dazed, but as if he were trying to focus. Indeed, the alien shifted down onto the carpet (_Gohan reflected on the fact that he'd never seen Piccolo do this_) and sat uncomfortably beside Gohan. His shoulders were hunched, and his elbows dug into his knees, looking vastly different from the poised alien Gohan had come accustomed to.

"You like these games a lot?" Piccolo prompted, staring at the screen instead of making contact with Gohan.

"Well, I mean, this franchise is all right," Gohan continued, getting caught up in the moment. "This particular game is Gauntlet: Dark Legacy, and it's probably my favorite. The old arcade ones are nice too, I just don't like that the time is literally your health. That, and I no longer have my NES to play it on. Seven Sorrows is good—but I just prefer this and…"

Gohan stopped, a nervous laugh bubbling out of his lips as he stared at the bewildered Piccolo.

"Sorry, Piccolo. I know you don't really care about all this." Gohan said this, but something tickled the back of his mind, making him think hard on his words. Maybe Piccolo didn't actually care about video games, but he was here asking Gohan questions… So maybe he cared about something else entirely?

The alien was not forthcoming, and merely grunted in response.

Gohan was suddenly struck with inspiration.

"You know, this is a two player game?" he prompted the alien, and ignored the look Piccolo gave him. "If you're really interested—," biting his lip, "—I could plug in another controller."

Piccolo sat there, obviously debating. Either that, or he was planning on telling Gohan to fuck off completely. The way his expression kept contorting really led him to believe it could be either or. There wouldn't be a way to tell until the Namekian decided to divulge.

And he did.

"Fine."

It took a few seconds for the approval to process in Gohan's mind, but once it did, he immediately rocketed forward. He jammed an extra controller into the slot on his PS2, and exited out of the level he was currently on. Right now, it didn't matter if he lost some of the gold he'd gotten—Piccolo had just agreed to play a video game with him!

He got Piccolo set up on the main menu, and had to bite back laughter at how ridiculous this looked. Piccolo held the black controller in his hand, staring dubiously down at the contraption. His fingers flexed around it, obviously confused. Gohan smiled, though, and shifted his hands, overlapping them with Piccolo's.

The tension was back. Gohan ignored it. Instead he focused on positioning Piccolo's fingers.

"See, that'll make it easier. And keep your thumb on the X button, okay?" Gohan kept his voice soft, watching Piccolo's face furrow in concentration. "I'll handle all the menus and stuff. But, basically, you're going to hit X to shoot at enemies, square is a stronger attack, triangle is a turbo attack, and circle is your potions." Piccolo didn't seem to take any of that in, but Gohan had taught people to play games before. They had to hear it then apply it. "These little sticks that swivel—you use those to make your character move."

Piccolo looked like he was seriously regretting agreeing to this, but went along with it anyhow.

Gohan went about getting him to the start menu, and typed in the name 'Pic'. After that, he decided to showcase the characters.

"Okay, so Piccolo—there's warriors, magicians, dwarves, jokers, Valkyries, and sorceresses. Which one sounds good?"

The Namekian blinked a few times, looking desperately to Gohan. He chuckled, shaking his head.

"Well—the Valkyrie is the most balanced character, so how about you use her?"

Piccolo shrugged, still looking thoroughly lost.

Once Piccolo had his green Valkyrie appear on screen, Gohan loaded up his own game. He'd already beaten it with his level 99 Knight—colored blue. He was rather grateful for his high level at any rate, because he could help Piccolo much easier now that he was completely maxed out.

The rest of the night transpired, in which Gohan supposed should have been a frustrating manner, but he really just found it endearing.

Since Piccolo had absolutely no clue what was going on ("I am the human lady?"), and the fact that all of the controls, stats, and general gaming knowledge were knew to him ("GOHAN SOMETHING BLEW UP!"), it was all just too cute.

Piccolo ended up bent double over his control, tongue protruding slightly as he mashed his thumb into the attack button, wildly shooting blades as he went. When Gohan tried to teach him an easier way—that you simply had to hold the button, not ram it—Piccolo had waved him away, glaring up at the screen.

The highlight of his night, though, had been when Piccolo encountered a Golem in the second realm.

Insofar they had played the first level a few times—Piccolo had died twice, and thus they'd been repeating it, attempting to level him up. After that it was simply because Gohan knew the second level would certainly throw the Namekian for a loop.

And, indeed, it did.

The puzzles, for one, had Piccolo hissing under his breath what suspiciously sounded like curse words. Then there had been Death, whom Piccolo didn't seem to quite understand followed the player. After that, it had been the poisonous fruit.

Finally, the climax had come, however, and the duo were faced with a rather large Golem which literally appeared from the ground. Piccolo had shouted when it appeared, and began haphazardly attempting to attack it at close range.

The Namekian was a genius when it came to true battle—but inside the gaming world?

Not so much.

Gohan had had to come in and quite literally save the alien from death—really who beat a level with only 20 health left?—and demolished the Golem with his turbo.

"The hell was that?" Piccolo demanded, pointing one sharp nail in the direction of the screen. Their characters switched into their idle animations, and Gohan laughed, turning to face Piccolo

"A Golem," he replied evenly enough. "Now c'mon. You need health. Gargoyles are stronger than Golems—and they shoot fire."

Piccolo huffed, glaring angrily at the controller as he toggled forward, scooping up any food items lingering around.

"Stupid game…" Piccolo rumbled deep in his chest, but he continued playing, even managing to actually listen to Gohan when the eventual Gargoyle fight arose. The two finished the level. After they exited the portal, Piccolo dropped his control, and strolled back to the couch, flopping down with an undignified 'oomph', and crossed his arms.

Despite his claims that he would never play again, Gohan saved his character anyways—if nothing other than a reminder that Piccolo had actually done this, and it hadn't all be some crazy dream. With that done, he shut off the console, joining Piccolo on the couch.

The Namekian huffed at nothing in particular, before turning to look at Gohan.

"Thanks, Piccolo," the boy suddenly said, hands twiddling in his lap as he did so. He saw the alien watch them.

"You don't have anything to thank me for, kid." Piccolo grunted, dropping one hand to the arm rest, digging his claws into the plush surface. Gohan watched that.

He kept quiet.

Because really—he had so much to be thankful for, and it all went outside of Piccolo just playing a video game. It was the mere purpose for which he had played—it was the fact that he'd done it because Gohan was upset, and Piccolo knew how he enjoyed such activities. It was Piccolo training him when he was younger, and it was Piccolo saving him so many times since.

It was Piccolo speaking out at the Cell Games. It was Piccolo doing everything in his power to make sure that Gohan was happy, healthy, and alive. It was Piccolo showing up at his apartment, and inviting himself in for the mere fact that Gohan needed company.

It was Piccolo sitting here now, brushing it off like it was nothing while all the time Gohan had him running rampant in his mind. It was Piccolo hugging him, and allowing him to touch him for some inexorable reason.

And that's really all Gohan could think.

Was "it was Piccolo".

**July 15****th**

Videl had invited him to a fireworks show, and he'd gone. While he'd had fun sitting there with her, idly passing the time as they reclined in the grass, he'd still thought of Piccolo. For once, however, he kept his mouth shut.

This was his time with Videl, and he decided that he really needed to get a grip on his life. There was more to it than just his crush, anyhow, and he was in heaven right now, just listening to Videl's voice talk him through the summer fun she'd been having.

She mentioned a few casual dates that she'd had, and Gohan congratulated her.

"When do I get to meet one, and make fun you mercilessly about it?" Gohan had prompted, to which she rolled her eyes.

"As soon as one of them isn't a joke themselves!

**July 20****th**

He trained with Vegeta—like he had been doing most days. It was much more bearable now, knowing that he'd show up at the Briefs' house, train for a bit, spending time with both his brother and Trunks. Then he'd fly to his mother's house, visit with her for a few hours, relishing her warmth and the familiarity of his old household.

After that, he'd return home, just to find Piccolo waiting for him.

A few nights, the alien had even humored him by playing Gauntlet.

Outside of their hugs good night, Gohan noticed, Piccolo had stopped touching him altogether.

He tried not to think about it.

Piccolo had just spent the whole day at Gohan's, playing away at that stupid game. He didn't even really know why he still bothered with that stupid contraption—but whenever he caught sight of Gohan playing, he couldn't resist the tiny little itch he got in his fingers.

It was rather similar to the itch he'd been feeling around Gohan as of late.

The alien groaned, hovering in a solitary room within the Lookout. He knew Dende had probably heard the noise, but was politely ignoring that face, for which Piccolo was rather grateful. There were somethings he could openly discuss with the Guardian, but there were others that Piccolo didn't feel safe telling anyone.

He wasn't even quite all right with telling himself a damn thing, really.

Especially not with how foreign it all was.

Ever since their day into town, when their hug had lasted longer than normal—and Gohan's hands had pressed his hips—Piccolo had felt a subtle shift in the relationship the two held. He couldn't ascertain what it was, since he had no previous knowledge to apply to such things, but he knew it was confusing.

Now, whenever they touched, Piccolo could feel his spine straighten just the tiniest bit, and he felt his fingers aching to reach out and touch the boy. He supposed perhaps he had just been in the presence of humans too long, and felt their innate need to comfort those around him.

Yet he felt no such sensation with anyone else.

There was something in particular about Gohan. But hadn't there always been? The boy was, after all, the major cause in Piccolo's reformation. Sure, many things had influenced his decision to change—but none were quite so deciding as the thought of the small child looking up at him, expecting such grand, wondrous things.

Things that he couldn't fulfill as the Demon King.

Hesitant claws drummed wearily against his thigh, and Piccolo stared down into his lap. Memories were coursing over him, and he couldn't believe how long this foolishness had been going. He had attempted to narrow it down the hugging incident, but really it traversed much farther back than that—to the point when Piccolo had first agreed to stay with Gohan.

To this day, he couldn't say for certain why he felt the need to stay with the boy. There had just been something so wretched about the way Gohan looked to him, soda dribbling down his chin with a greasy bag of food in his armpit.

That had been the start of these strange events.

If anyone were to ask Piccolo why he had continued these unnecessary visits—which thankfully Gohan never had—Piccolo honestly couldn't say what his response would be. He just imagined him punching the person's lights out, so that way they didn't remember such an errant thought.

Regardless, Piccolo didn't regret the budding friendship he had with Gohan, nor did he regret opting to stay with Gohan just a little bit more. The two had always been a big presence in one another's lives, they'd just always had other people around as well. Always a buffer, and people for Piccolo to observe and learn from.

That, and there had been no physical contact.

And, Piccolo ultimately decided, was the most unnerving bit.

While Gohan hugging him, and touching him wasn't unpleasant, there was something significantly different about it. Sure, the boy had hugged him when he was younger, and Piccolo had allowed it on some occasions, but there were never lingering hands and smoldering gazes to accompany such acts.

Now there was.

Slowly, Piccolo pressed his palm to his face, remembering the circular motions of Gohan's thumb as the boy had rolled his pad over Piccolo's face. The boy had calloused, rough fingers that had scraped against him, yet soothed him all the same. Since he had his regenerative properties, Piccolo never had scars or callouses—every bit of him was replaceable.

Perhaps that was what made him linger so much on the feel of Gohan's thumb.

The night they'd played video games had been interesting in its own right, on much the same tangent.

Piccolo had reached out, almost unbidden as far as he was concerned, to caress Gohan's face—he wanted to return the feeling that the boy had given him. The way Gohan had clammed up, however, had Piccolo thinking he'd done the exact opposite, and broken some weird human law.

He'd immediately been assuaged by Gohan's cool voice, and replacement of Piccolo's hand against him.

Flexing his fingers, Piccolo looked down to his palm, remembering the way Gohan had nuzzled into it.

He swallowed, throat feeling dry.

_Have you ever masturbated?_

That question rose to the front of his mind, and he bared his teeth. Catching Gohan in the act, so to say, had spawned a serious of interesting events. That particular conversation had been one of them. Seeing as he was the great Demon King, no one had ever thought to actually ask Piccolo about his sexuality or lack thereof, and so he had been astonished when Gohan had so easily asked such a question.

Piccolo had mastered the art of pretending, and thus pretended to be calm and collected, though inwardly he'd balked. A simple 'no' was his response, but inside he had been roiling. It was true, what he'd said, that small memories of Nail and Kami filtered through his subconscious when it was pertinent.

Though, neither had anything that was to do with the topic. Either it wasn't important enough to have been kept as a memory, or there was the possibility that the two denizens within him were able to keep some level of control of what was shared, and thus did not wish for that to be known.

It was at that point that Piccolo became curious of his own biology.

He peered down at his lap again, staring at his baggy gi hanging from his frame. Piccolo had taken baths, and the like, but never had he bothered to actually explore himself. Despite himself, he did snort just a bit, imagining how curious Gohan would be, and desperate for answers. The little braniac would definitely love to get his hands on such information.

Shaking his head, he ran a hand down his thigh, staring.

Piccolo was not willingly to undress for such a silly reason, and through all of the fabric of his gi he wasn't going to get anywhere. Shaking his head, he dismissed the thoughts, focusing instead on the unbidden tension that lay between he and the eldest Son boy.

He'd reserved from touching Gohan, as he attempted to desperately scrounge up some reason for why he was behaving so errantly. For now, Piccolo decided that would have to do, and returned to his mediation.

**July 21****st**

Ever since Piccolo had caught him masturbating, Gohan had made absolutely certain that he would not be caught. There was no way he was risking it again. So, he'd taken to only doing it when he was in the shower—though the frequency in which it happened had certainly mounted ever higher.

His fantasies went from strange blurs that made no sense, to actual solid, concrete pictures.

He would simply sit in the spray of the shower, lulling himself ever closer as he imagined going on dates with the Namekian, holding hands, and eventually kissing with abandon in a way that made Gohan's lips sear as though it were real.

Gohan's favorites, however, were the ones where he'd imagine himself coming home from work, kicking off his shoes, and entering the kitchen to find the Namekian there. He'd imagine their banter, all the while Gohan was allowed full access to everything Piccolo offered—stroking the alien's arms, playing with his antennae, and most of all relishing in the fact that he could reach over, place a hand on the Namekian's warm thigh, and kiss him into oblivion. Then the hand that rested on the alien's thigh would wander….

In Gohan's mind they never even had to leave the kitchen.

**July 31****st**

Gohan groaned, head thumping back against the table. Piccolo looked up from his dinner, eyeballing the demi-Saiyan with a raised brow. He did continue eating, however, quite used to Gohan's unnecessary theatrics. When the boy kept making discontented noises, Piccolo finally rolled his eyes and caved.

"Is something the matter, Gohan?" the alien asked, popping a piece of chicken in his mouth. Gohan lifted his head wearily, and fluttered a hand near his face.

"No—school is starting back up!"

"I thought you liked school?"

"No—I enjoy learning."

"Are they not one ant he same?"

"Oh Piccolo… You poor, naïve soul." Gohan tutted, dramatically shaking his head as he waggled his finger. "They're totally different. Can't even compare the two! School was fun at first—when I didn't know what it was! Its compulsory learning, with a grade attached. It detracts from actual learning, in my opinion. Mom always checked my work, but she would help me through it, not slap a grade down and say 'there you go'!" He sighed. "It also means more paper, less time for training and less time for…" Gohan trailed off.

"Less time to be playing around with me?" Piccolo finished, a dry smile spreading across his face as Gohan seemed unsure of what to say. The alien sneered. "Kid, quit trying to protect everyone's feelings all the time. I know school is the most important thing right now—trust me, your mother lectures enough to kill a man."

Gohan laughed, genuine and light, resuming his eating. "Yeah. It's just—I've actually really enjoyed summer break. You and Videl have made this fantastic, and I haven't exactly hated training again." He teased Piccolo with that last bit, to which the raised his lip.

"You've only been training with Vegeta and the brats," Piccolo pointed out Gohan using his fork, "why is that?"

Gohan blinked. "Who else is there?"

Piccolo stared at him, actually looking mildly offended.

"Oh! Piccolo—," Gohan hesitated, "—it's not that I don't want to train with you it's just that…" His voice was trailing off, and he saw Piccolo's eyes narrowing in a dangerous fashion. Suddenly, Gohan understood what the alien thought the implication was. He could practically hear the insults being mentally hurled at him.

"It's not that I think you're not on par with us Saiyans," Gohan interjected, holding up a placating hand. Piccolo actually seemed mildly surprised that Gohan had noticed what he was thinking. "I just meant—well… I guess I don't really… have an excuse." He forced a nervous laugh at that last bit, rubbing at the back of his head, desperately wanting to crawl into a hole and die.

"Good." Piccolo grunted. "Then we'll train."

"Now?" Gohan yelped, jerking in his seat.

"After you finish eating, of course." Piccolo's voice was so calm and complacent, that Gohan obliged, slowly making his way through dinner. He couldn't even bring himself to get thirds, such was his nervousness about the situation.

As soon as Gohan was done, Piccolo swooped up the plates, and deposited them in the sink. He turned to fully face Gohan, smirking as he did so. The alien headed towards the door, and Gohan reluctantly followed. Instead of zipping along as he usually did, Gohan decided to slowly put through the sky, not looking forward to this at all.

All of his shower fantasies were coming to mind.

They touched down, and Piccolo dropped into a defensive stance.

Gohan sucked in a deep breath, before shooting forward.

His first few swings were easily blocked and deflected, until he swung his foot up, heel making crushing contact with the Namekian's jaw. The alien lurched back, eyes widened as Gohan took that opportunity to nail him in between the ribs, swinging his free leg out to knock Piccolo to the ground.

He didn't have long to celebrate, as Piccolo came back with a vengeance. As soon as the Namekian found his feet, the punches and kicks were coming. Gohan was rather good and side-stepping the punches, but the kicks were a whole different scene. While Piccolo could certainly pack a mean punch, his kicks were not to be trifled with.

The alien was flexible, versatile, and powerful. Gohan was focusing as much as he could. For every kick that he blocked, however, his body still shook from the impact. It was enough that when Piccolo landed three kicks consecutively, Gohan was caught off guard by the fist that smashed his temple.

Gohan hit the dirt, shooting a ki blast, hitting Piccolo Square in the chest. The alien merely grunted, ripping at the burning cloth.

Piccolo was bare from the waist up.

Gohan thought—for just a moment—that he should end this little match, but he didn't get a chance to. Piccolo was back, slamming his body against Gohan's, and pummeling every inch that he could reach. Twisting beneath the Namekian, Gohan finally freed his body enough to push upwards. He jerked the heel of his palm up, colliding with Piccolo's already wounded chin.

The alien groaned, actually pausing to grab at his jaw, claws twitching against the skin. Gohan took that opportunity to land a solid punch in Piccolo's stomach, doubling over the alien with the force of it. As he held his fist there, he felt the Namekian go lax, and his large form slumped against Gohan.

Gohan slid a bit in the dirt at the unexpected weight. He felt the Namekian's chest pressing against his shoulders, and Piccolo's head lolling forward just a bit. He felt Piccolo shift just a bit, hips pressing against Gohan's thighs as the alien righted himself once more.

He was really trying to keep his thoughts clean, but all he could focus on was the fact that Piccolo was sitting on his legs and—_he has a really nice ass._

Biting his lip, Gohan pretended to look concerned, hiding his arousal.

"Are… Are you okay?"

Piccolo waved him off, rubbing as he rotated his jaw. "I'm fine, kid," came the calm response, tilting his head. "You did well. I told you training with Vegeta would help."

Gohan nodded, ignoring his dry throat, and the fact that his hands were really itching to grab ahold of Piccolo—and certainly not a part that the Namekian would approve of. It was just with every shift he could feel it, and temptation was exceptionally strong.

Apparently whatever God was helping him decided to cut him a break, and Piccolo finally stood, stretching as he rubbed his stomach. There was a tiny wince, but Piccolo once again waved off Gohan's worry.

"Trust me, I've had way worse." He smiled at that, and Gohan happily returned it, glad to get his mind elsewhere. After all, he needed all the distraction he could get considering a shirtless, sweaty Piccolo was in front of him.

Rising to his feet, Gohan brushed off his pants. He looked to Piccolo, who was stretching now, arms stretched above his head, chest expanding as he sucked in a deep breath. Gohan copied his movements, pretending he wasn't staring so heavily.

"Hey, Piccolo—," the alien looked up, "—I hope you have a safe flight back home." He smiled then, big and bright, pushing every other thought away. Because Piccolo making it back up to the Lookout in a good mood took priority over any boner he could ever have.

"What's gonna stop me, kid?" Piccolo smirked, and Gohan laughed.

"Yeah—I guess you're right. I'm so used to mom saying it to dad and me." Gohan looked off to the side a bit, and didn't notice the shift in Piccolo's expression.

Piccolo made a grunting noise, and shifted his feet. "You have a safe flight too."

Gohan felt his heart skip, and he turned his toes in just a bit.

"Thanks."

**Please review and let me know what you think!**


	5. August and September

**This one is short, so it's going up today~.**

**Seriously thank-you for all the kind words!**

**August 2****nd**

Gohan could feel the mounting pressure of school looming ever closer, and really the thought was just depressing. He had become accustomed to spending all of his free-time in leisure, either with Videl goofing off, or just wasting hours with Piccolo. Thinking about returning all of his efforts to papers and such was just horrendous.

Miserable, he slumped against the back of the couch, ignoring the look Piccolo gave him.

"You're being ridiculous," the alien commented, one eyebrow ridge up as he regarded Gohan.

The boy stuck in his tongue out in response.

"Thank-you for proving my point."

Gohan huffed, crossing one leg and pretending to be upset. Piccolo didn't even indulge the behavior, instead opting to straighten the black shirt he wore. Watching, Gohan hummed thoughtfully, admiring the alien's delicate fingers. After he had watched enough, Gohan flipped open his phone, answering a message from Videl—she was freaking out over the emails that school had started sending out.

All in all, she was handling going back far worse than him.

Despite his annoyance and chagrin at returning, he was really only dreading it because the lack of time. Especially now that he had finally balanced out his time between Namekian, friend, his mother, and the Briefs' household. Truth be told, Piccolo had been completely right in his assessment that Gohan needed to go back to training. He was so stress free.

Speaking of, Piccolo was giving him a _look_.

"Want to go spar?" Gohan offered, sparing the alien from having to actual ask. Piccolo nodded, and Gohan almost laughed at his friend's ridiculous behavior. He rose off the couch, shaking out his limbs, preparing to leave. Behind him, he could hear Piccolo rising to his feet, heading out the door.

Gohan knew that he still got far too invested in his and Piccolo's sparring matches but….

The Namekian was actually smiling at him—one that almost actually stretched the corners of his mouth—and that made Gohan want to give Piccolo everything he could ever dream of.

**August 4****th**

Gohan walked into his house, a few bills in hand. He set them on the coffee table—to be handled at a later date—and instead aligned his attention with the alien that was currently seated on his couch. Piccolo was resting there, and for all extensive purposes, he looked to be asleep.

Startled by this, Gohan took a few steps closer. The Namekian just lay there in his street clothes, hands lax at his sides, and his antennae drooped over his brow. There were little minute twitches in the alien's fingers and shuttered eyelids, but other than that he looked to be completely peaceful.

Biting his lip, Gohan resisted the urge to take a picture. As much as he wanted photographic proof of how perfect this really was, he couldn't bring himself to do something that was so violating. Sure, he'd taken pictures of Piccolo before, but when he was sleeping?—he couldn't do it.

He did, however, decide against waking his friend. Instead, he opted for picking a nice book, and curling up on the other end of the couch. He stared fervently at the pages, truly attempting to soak in anything that the text could offer, but his mind just wouldn't commit.

Every time he even remotely became interested in the novel, his brain would patter back over to Piccolo's sleeping form. His eyes wandered aimlessly across rows of letters, before coming to rest on Piccolo's twitching fingers. The slack-jawed Namekian just looked so utterly… cute… that Gohan couldn't tear his eyes away.

Sighing, he dropped his book flat against his chest, forcing his eyes to glare up at the ceiling. This was getting so out of hand. Here he was, ogling Piccolo while he was sleeping—and that alone was enough to confuse the hell out of Gohan. Why was the Namekian even asleep? It wasn't like he needed to. So the fact that he had chosen to do such an act on Gohan's couch was truly baffling.

Curiosity was clawing at him now.

Piccolo was still asleep though.

He couldn't bring himself to wake the Namekian up for his own selfish questions, so instead Gohan decided that he needed to do—well something. Finally, he settled on playing video games. If he sat in the floor, it kept his back to Piccolo's direction, allowing him the perfect excuse to not look at the Namekian.

Gohan loaded up one of his games, and sat, playing it in silence for two hours.

When Piccolo finally awoke, Gohan was aware, because the Namekian actually snorted.

Twisting around, Gohan paused his game, eyes cresting his shoulder as he regarded his companion.

Piccolo actually smacked his lips, and fluttered his eyelids open, looking confused as hell. His antennae wiggled, and he slowly drew his arms up closer to him. Bleary eyes met Gohan's, and the boy felt an undeniable rush of lust and affection course through him at seeing that lidded gaze.

"Good morning," Gohan muttered, watching as Piccolo gave him a reproachful look.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" the alien's voice was deep and raspy. Gohan wanted desperately to hear more.

"You seemed comfy," he said, saving his game and turning off the console. Behind him, he could hear Piccolo shifting into a more steady position, and smoothing out his clothes. Gohan licked his lips, attempting to collect himself. Once he felt safe, he set his controller down, and made his way over to the couch. He sat down, looking to Piccolo.

"So…" Gohan began, nervously running a palm against his thigh. "Why were you asleep?"

Piccolo stared at him. "Generally people sleep when they are tired."

"Jackass," Gohan snorted, crossing his arms. The conversation lulled at that point, and Gohan didn't really feel the need to pick it up again. After all, Piccolo was awake now, and that seemed to be the end of it. His friend merely relaxed on the couch, talking every once in a while with Gohan.

They didn't mention it again.

**September 20****th**

Piccolo sighed, actually feeling what he associated with 'boredom'. He wasn't particularly knowledgeable in this aspect, and had always detested the human's need to proclaim it. Especially Gohan, who felt that when he was not entertained, it was Piccolo's job to step up to bat.

Now, though, he could see the atrocities of such a feeling.

He was up at the Lookout, with absolutely nothing to do.

When Piccolo had been left to his own devices before, he had merely meditated, or trained. None of that seemed appealing to him at the moment, however, and that was ruining his day. Generally, he did find himself at Gohan's, but for the past month the boy had been preoccupied with getting ready for school, and then in turn actually starting school.

Gohan assured him that the duo would return to their usual time spent together—Piccolo had huffed at that, feigning disinterest, ignoring the crinkling smile that had spread across Gohan's face—but to give him a month or two at least to settle back into his pattern.

Naturally, Piccolo had agreed. He had spent many of his years on Earth alone, completely isolated from any social contact. The thought hadn't even really bothered him upon Gohan's suggestion of it. Things changed, though, whenever Piccolo was actually confronted with the fact that he was used to Gohan's company.

That in and of itself upset him greatly. Once in history, Piccolo would have confined himself to a wasteland somewhere, and trained to his heart's content. While he could certainly still go through with that, he knew that it wasn't really what he _wanted_.

What he wanted was to be in that stupid apartment with Gohan, for reasons that Piccolo couldn't even readily identify. Nothing else seemed to be kicking this dredging feeling he had. Meditation only lasted so long, his spars were subpar, and Chi Chi seemed to just know when something was wrong, and had taken to harassing him over it.

Grumbling to himself, Piccolo set on the edge of the Lookout, peering down into the world beneath him. He assumed that whenever Gohan was ready to resume contact, he would come up to the Lookout. Insofar, though, he'd felt no familiar spark in ki, and certainly no demi-Saiyan coming to relieve him.

Behind him, he could hear Dende shuffling around, peering through the clouds to the denizens below. Piccolo said nothing, and merely listened to the sliding of robes, always crisp against the tiles.

Piccolo actually found himself sighing, his elbow dropping to his knee, and his hand cradling his face. For the life of him he felt rather pathetic. Son Gohan had done something to him, and Piccolo had absolutely no clue as to what it was.

Whenever he was in the boy's presence, however, he could feel eyes on him, warming his flesh wherever they touched. He was also beginning to look forward to the first time he and Gohan reunited after this long break, simply because he knew that Gohan would probably be ecstatic, slinging his arms around Piccolo's neck in one of those crushing hugs.

Then Gohan's breath would ghost against his neck, and Piccolo would try to reciprocate the good feelings that flared in his core whenever Gohan touched him. The Namekian may not understand what was happening, but he certainly reveled in the sensations, especially knowing Gohan was the only one that would ever be allowed this close to him.—and damn the thought he'd ever had about ending physical contact between them.

"You've been spending a lot of time with Gohan," Dende suddenly observed, rather close now. Piccolo had been so enveloped in his thoughts, he'd apparently not heard the young Guardian approach. He did manage to grunt in response though—it was all he really felt he could muster.

Dende didn't seem to mind, however, and merely observed Piccolo.

"It's just, your face and posture look so human right now," the little alien giggled, covering his mouth with his hand. That earned him a snarl, which Dende easily waved off. It really made Piccolo miss the days when the Guardian had been scared of him.

"I'm a seven foot tall green alien," Piccolo griped, baring his fangs, "I doubt I could ever look human."

Dende gave an amicable shrug. "Your mannerisms compensate for appearance."

Piccolo didn't really want to continue this conversation, and instead stared at the roiling clouds below.

"You miss him, don't you," Dende said sympathetically.

Piccolo retained his silence.

There was no need for him to assure Dende, when the Guardian knew he was right. The last time he'd officially seen Gohan was the day after his little nap, and that had been for the boy to explain his current stressful situation. After that, Piccolo had taken to the Lookout, no fuss and no muss.

He had been a little glad though, that Gohan had not thought to press the issue of Piccolo napping. For, if he was to be honest, there had been no real reason for him to. The Namekian had just felt comfortable enough to actually relax there, not even bothering to sink into his meditative state, rather than allow his body to fall completely under.

Waking up to seeing Gohan playing video games though… That had been rather nice. There was something comforting in the way it made Piccolo feel. It was something easy and predictable, which completely set him at ease.

Gohan in general could do that.

"While you're thinking about him," Dende said suddenly, scrunching up his eyes as he peered downwards, "I do believe he's on his way."

Piccolo started, rising up from his haphazard placement at the edge of the Lookout. He focused on the fact that—yes—there was a faint trace of ki heading towards him. The alien quickly crossed his arms in a huffy manner, and erased all emotion from his face. Blithely, he ignored Dende's giggle off to the side.

There was one small warning—a cry of "Piccolo!"—before the alien was knocked backwards several feet, heels digging into tile as a form was crushed against him. He barely had time to untangle his arms, before Gohan was on him, arms encircling Piccolo's neck. It was exactly as he had envisioned. Gohan was there, mouth close to the junction where his neck met shoulder, and he could feel him there, breathing and muttering happy words.

His chest thrummed against Gohan's, whose heart was beating so fast Piccolo could hear it, and juxtaposed it against his own. It felt so nice and familiar, especially with the warm body pressing it ever closer. Caught up in the moment, Piccolo actually deemed to return the affections, arms around Gohan's waist, his fingertips grazing against the small of the demi-Saiyan's back.

"I've missed you so much," Gohan heaved, laughing at what Piccolo could assume was his own ridiculousness. The boy was always ready to divulge in self-deprecation, especially if humor was at hand. Piccolo refrained from returning the sentiment, and instead focused on Gohan shifting his body against him, actually pulling back enough to look into Piccolo's face.

The alien kept up his mask, but distantly wondered why Gohan had to leave his position. There was now space between the two, Gohan arching his back against Piccolo's cradling hands, as he kept his own locked tight beneath Piccolo's skull. Those dark eyes that he had so hated on Goku, were now shimmering up at him in a way that made Piccolo want to be as close as they had been before.

Gohan, despite having pulled back, also appeared unwilling to move any further away. The only thing the boy did deem fit to move, was that he slowly unclasped his hands, and ran them to Piccolo's shoulders, fingers flexing there. They radiated such heat, that Piccolo distantly wondered if he'd been burned from a mere touch.

Piccolo heard a cough, dragging his gaze away from Gohan's. The heat pooling in his stomach abated just a bit, as he looked to see Dende standing there, looking rather sheepish. Gohan made a small noise, suddenly releasing Piccolo and pulling out of the alien's returned embrace.

Piccolo allowed it to happen, returning to his usual stance, burly arms crossing his chest.

"It's nice to see you, Gohan," Dende greeted, giving a small wave. Gohan still looked flustered, but managed to return the sentiment. The two smaller entities continued their frivolous chit chat, while Piccolo merely observed.

It had been over a month since he'd last enjoyed Gohan's company, and he couldn't really believe how much he'd missed it. Nothing had changed physically about the boy, but Piccolo couldn't help but feel as if something had definitely altered. Perhaps it was Piccolo had changed, but the Namekian severely doubted that.

So, instead of dwelling on that, he chose to listen to Gohan's voice. He wasn't really retaining what was being said, but he could enjoy the sound of it, along with the care-free attitude that accompanied it. The boy was so lively, and completely different from everyone else on the Lookout. All three residents were calm, cool, and collected. Dende had small moments of childishness, but never anything to the extent of what Gohan could manage.

Despite his vocal expressions against it to Gohan, Piccolo couldn't help but find it refreshing.

"School has been a nightmare, and I've just been studying like crazy. They hit us so hard at the start! Between that, figuring out class schedules, and when I'll have time to do—well—anything, it's been so stressful." Gohan sighed, rubbing at the back of his head, and shooting a small look to Piccolo. "I really have missed you though."

"Yeah, kid," Piccolo grunted, matching the gaze. There was something about the way the kid looked at him that left Piccolo unsure of what to do. No one in his life had ever stared at Piccolo that way, and that left him at a loss for what it meant when Gohan did.

Dende shifted slightly, fiddling with his stick as he cast nervous glances between the pair.

"Well, I'm sure you two want to catch up," he muttered, and Piccolo gave him a distant nod.

"Thank-you, Dende," he rumbled, and out of the corner of his eyes he saw Gohan lick his lips, before biting into them. That was curious, but Piccolo decided not to mention it. The little thrill it had sent through him didn't need to be discussed.

The Guardian took his leave then, wishing Gohan good luck with his studies. Once Dende was gone, Gohan turned to face him fully, eyes still carrying that curious heat that confused Piccolo so. It wasn't even a bad feeling, just one that he wasn't sure what it meant.

"Piccolo," Gohan said slowly, taking a hesitant step forward. Piccolo didn't move. "I want to hug you again. May I?"

Astonished by the question, Piccolo sat there, completely stumped. Gohan didn't seem to mind, though, and merely stood there, shoulders thrown back as he looked into the Namekian's face. Fighting hard to keep up his façade, Piccolo gave a minute nod.

Gohan smiled, big and broad and so joy-filled that Piccolo was at a loss for how something so nice could exist, and then those muscular arms were around his waist. Gohan's face was pressing into his chest, and Piccolo wondered if the boy could feel his heartbeat. If he could, nothing was said, and Gohan merely sat there. The Namekian almost thought to return the affection, yet he was much too stunned to do anything other than sit there and let Gohan do his thing.

Eventually the boy was sated with the hug, and Gohan slowly withdrew. Piccolo did pause, though, as the boy was not completely done. He felt fingertips run along his lower back, until Gohan's hands were pressed firmly onto Piccolo's hips, anchoring the alien in place as if he'd fly away.

"It's been so boring at the apartment without you," Gohan commented, and Piccolo noticed that he was looking rather unsure of himself. Nervousness tinged his voice, and the alien could feel how the fingers against his sides were twitching.

"I would imagine so," Piccolo replied, allowing a cocky smirk to spread across his face. Gohan laughed at that, and some of the tension drained out of the interaction. Instead it was back to their normal atmosphere, just with Gohan a little closer than normal.

Piccolo found he didn't mind.

"Well," Gohan smiled, tilting his head. Piccolo watched the way the boy's eyes crinkled up at the corner, and he was stuck with an odd compulsion to do something. He didn't know what. "Starting tomorrow, you can start coming back over. I came up today to let you know." Piccolo nodded. "I'd offer for you to visit today, but I actually took a break from studying with Videl to come tell you."

Piccolo grunted his affirmation. He supposed one day wouldn't make all the difference, and really, Piccolo actually found himself rather complacent right now. Gohan didn't need to know that, though, and so the alien maintained his indifferent responses.

"All right, Piccolo," Gohan's was teasing now, and his fingers slowly slid off of Piccolo's hips. Despite himself, Piccolo really wanted to demand why. "I'm gonna head back now."

"Whatever kid," Piccolo replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Try not to let a bird knock you out on your flight home."

"That's the cruel sense of humor I missed," the boy was laughing, before floating from the Lookout, and disappearing over the ridge. The wink that he had shot Piccolo before his flight was not missed, however, and Piccolo merely shook his head.

**September 21****st**

Gohan stared at his ceiling, wondering if and when Piccolo was going to arrive. While he had extended a pretty obvious invitation, he was unsure of how willing the alien would be to return so quickly. Sure, Piccolo had received him rather well—but that didn't mean the Namekian would come flying down at the first chance.

But, perhaps he'd been lonely, too…?

After all, Piccolo had certainly allowed Gohan to be rather intimate up on the Lookout.

He flushed at the memory, easily visualizing how embarrassed Dende had looked. Gohan was certain that the young Namekian hadn't been quite sure how to react, considering Gohan had come flying up at break-neck speed just slam his face into Piccolo's neck. But, regardless of how sorry he was for Dende, Gohan couldn't say he regretted doing it.

Piccolo had smelled so good…

Shaking his head, Gohan shifted on the couch, crossing his legs as he did so. Wanting to keep his mind off of things, Gohan set about reading one of his novels, making it several chapters in before he heard a key in the lock.

Then Piccolo was there, in his street clothes.

Gohan felt his mouth dry.

Absence made the heart grow fonder, and made his cock give a painful thump against the inside of his trousers. Piccolo looked damn good, especially considering how long it had been. He'd forgotten how trim the black shirt sat, and how every single muscle was outlined. All of his pictures of Piccolo were waist up, too, so he'd been unable to properly visualize those legs in his brain and—

His brain wasn't really functioning anymore.

He attempted to say hello to his friend, but he was pretty sure he just gurgle rather unintelligently. Piccolo merely cocked an eyebrow up, and stared at Gohan, kicking the door shut behind him. The Namekian didn't comment on Gohan's behavior—but then again, he also didn't know that Gohan was basically fucking him in his mind.

Forcing his thoughts to focus on something other than _that_, he stood up, greeting Piccolo with a hearty wave. Piccolo returned it in passing, before seating himself on the couch. Gohan let him be for a moment, considering that the alien was sitting there, eyes closed, and appearing to bask in something or other.

Once a full minute had passed, though, Gohan decided to interrupt the calm.

"Want to go for a walk?" he prompted, watching as Piccolo mused for a moment, finally offering a shrug in return. The alien rose from the couch, and headed towards the door, Gohan lingering just a few steps behind him. There had been one thing especially that Gohan had missed seeing, as it was not showcased in any of his pictures either.

Biting his lip, he wondered if memory had made him grow fonder, or if was really as good as he remembered. And oh God it was—

Gohan decided that he absolutely loved Piccolo's ass.

**September 30****th**

Gohan absolutely hated his life today. He'd been slammed left and right with three different papers—all had to have at least twelve sources, and were to be a minimum of ten pages. While he was certainly good at writing papers, to the point where Videl had refused to talk to him out of sheer jealousy, he still did not like this prospect.

So, kicking open his door, he was still fuming, just to find Piccolo sitting in the kitchen. The Namekian had a tea cup filled with plain water, and was sipping softly at it. Gohan did pause in his tirade of self-loathing, and offered a sort of crooked smile to Piccolo.

"Bad day?" Piccolo asked, setting down his cup as he turned to fully look at Gohan.

"You know what," Gohan laughed, taking a seat across from the alien, "not anymore."

And it only brightened when Piccolo hid his smile in his cup.

**Any questions or commentary, just let me know!**


	6. October and November

**You're all so sweet with your reviews! I literally end up just smiling at my phone like a doofus whenever the emails come in!**

**October 10****th**

He'd finished two of his papers, and was thus reveling in some relaxation time, sprawled across the couch with his head in Piccolo's lap. A few months ago, he never could have imagined this scenario taking place, but now, he felt completely calm.

Piccolo simply sat there, presumably meditating. Gohan reveled in how nice this was. Here he was, head in Piccolo's lap as he held a book up above him, enjoying every bit of it. The soft sounds of Piccolo breathing were like a soundtrack to the story.

"What are you reading?" Piccolo suddenly asked, interrupting Gohan. He lowered the novel just a bit, and craned his head up to look at the alien. There was open curiosity staring down at him, and Gohan felt a smile stretch across his face.

"_The Princess Bride_," Gohan replied amicably. The Namekian merely blinked. "It's all about the most beautiful girl in the world, who loses the love of her life and must marry an evil man, so he can become king." Piccolo still looked mystified.

Gohan shifted his position, pulling up out of Piccolo's lap, instead pressing his shoulder into the Namekian's bicep as he leaned against him. He felt Piccolo move the tiniest bit, angling himself to look down upon Gohan and his book.

"It's a fantastic book—it's full of humor, sword fights, and fantastical creatures." He smiled up at Piccolo. "One of my favorites, really."

Piccolo hummed in response, obviously still unsure of whatever the hell any of that meant.

For just a moment, Gohan furrowed his brow, deciding to press his luck for the day. He slowly opened his mouth, hesitating over his words, before they eventually came tumbling out.

"Would you like me to read it to you?" he asked, eyes peering upwards. Above him, Piccolo turned his face to the side. When he brought his gaze back to Gohan's, however, there was an answer there.

"Sure, kid. Read away."

"All right…" Gohan could feel the butterflies in his stomach, and despite how clichéd it was he really couldn't believe how accurate that simple phrase was. Here was, for all extensive purposes snuggled up next to Piccolo, preparing to read one of his favorite novels of high fantasy and true love.

Gulping, he returned to the first page, more than willing to restart. He skipped the foreword, instead focusing on the actual story. An abridged version of the abridged version.

He sucked in a deep breath.

"'The year Buttercup was born, the most beautiful woman in the world was a French scullery maid named Annette'…"

**October 16****th**

Piccolo had visited the past three nights, always on the couch with a tea cup filled with water, the novel conspicuously placed upon the table. Gohan would come home, smile lovingly at the Namekian, and take his seat. Once the novel was open, Piccolo sat there, avidly listening.

The only time the reading would be disrupted was if Piccolo were to stand up, and tread into the kitchen. There he would refill his drink, returning soon with a soda in hand for Gohan. That simple act always made Gohan flush straight to his core.

He would open his coke can, refocus on the page, and wait for Piccolo to settle back down beside him. It was always so warm and comforting, flipping through the pages, feeling them sliding against his fingers as Piccolo listened.

At some point in the story, Gohan realized that Piccolo had no point of reference for all of this. He wasn't used to thousands of cartoon, movies, books, and shows consistently pressing the need for romance between leads. He wasn't used to the myriad of tropes that were utilized in an effort to express to the audience what was happening.

This was all so fresh to Piccolo—and perhaps that was why he was so engaged.

For Piccolo was indeed enraptured, and for once wasn't really making an effort to hide it. When Westley and Buttercup shared their kiss, he felt Piccolo soften beside him; when Inigo, Fezzik, and Vizzini were being hounded by the man in black, he could hear Piccolo's heart race. Of course, the eventual showdowns with the man in black did cause Piccolo to actually laugh aloud, just a tiny bit, and Gohan decided that this was the best idea he'd ever had.

Especially when, one night, they had set the book aside, something extraordinary happened. Gohan had claimed he needed a break—his throat was scraping in a very uncomfortable fashion. Piccolo had conceded, and the two were simply relaxing on the couch, sipping at his water.

All in all, Gohan was rather pleased with the progress they'd made. Already, they were to the point where Inigo and Fezzik were preparing to take Westley to Miracle Max. He knew Piccolo would appreciate this next bit, as the humor ran high.

Gohan took a swig from his coke can, and smiled at Piccolo. "I'm glad you like the novel."

"I suppose I am glad as well—otherwise you reading it every day now would have gotten quite boring." Piccolo smirked at him, and Gohan rolled his eyes. At this point, Gohan leaned fully against the alien once more, head taking up the arm he wasn't using to drink.

Piccolo looked down at him, said nothing, taking another sip of his water.

"Actually…" Gohan didn't know why he was still talking—really he didn't—, "I wanted to say I'm glad you like coming down here at all."

Piccolo grunted, eyes staring deep into his cup. Gohan bit his lip, wondering why he'd kept talking. It was a nervous habit, he supposed. He'd initially done it when his crush on Videl had been at its peak. Constantly he was caught saying things he shouldn't, or rambling on unnecessarily. He should've known this crush would be no different.

With mounting effort, he kept his mouth shut, deciding instead to continue resting in the comforting silence. Eventually, he heard Piccolo shift just the tiniest bit, as if he were getting ready to stand up. Gohan moved, and the Namekian did indeed rise to his feet.

Blinking, he watched the large alien take his cup to the kitchen sink, before returning to the living room. He eyed Gohan.

"You seem tired—should we call it a night?" Piccolo queried, antennae twitching.

"Oh… Yeah," Gohan mumbled, running a hand through his hair. He stood, making his way over to Piccolo, accompanying the Namekian to the door. Piccolo opened it, stepping out into the cool night air, and Gohan right beside him.

The Namekian turned, allowing Gohan to initiate their nightly hug. Once there, he perhaps squeezed Piccolo a little more than usual, but the alien kept quiet about it. When they finally withdrew, Gohan hesitated for just a moment, staring up into Piccolo's eyes.

"See you tomorrow?" Gohan prompted.

Piccolo smiled. "As you wish," came the rumbled reply.

Gohan fumbled, fully releasing the Namekian as Piccolo took to the skies. Dumbfounded, he turned around, and went back into the apartment. He stared at the novel still on his coffee table.

**October 20****th**

"God you guys are already dating," Videl complained, taking a bite of her food. Gohan sat there, miserably sipping at his drink. He unwrapped his sandwich, and sunk his teeth in. He'd recently told Videl about his adventures in reading the novel to Piccolo, up to their 'good-bye'. Since then they'd finished the book, and surprisingly enough, Piccolo had actually asked to borrow it.

Deciding to not really question it too much, Gohan had relented.

"We're not, Videl," he muttered, not really feeling up to the banter today. His mind was a wreck. He'd managed to finish his final paper but his brain had taken some damage. Especially coupled with Piccolo's strange behavior, he wasn't quite sure what to do anymore, or what he and his friend actually were.

Videl had some ideas though.

"Whatever," she bypassed him, "you guys eat together, read books together, hug and touch and all that." Her eyes rolled dramatically. "What the hell else would you classify that as?"

"Um… Friendship?" Gohan offered up weakly, knowing full and well that look he'd get from Videl. Then again, it was hard to actually be threatened by her when she had rather large ghosts hanging from her ears.

"Friendship, my ass," she returned. "Which, by the way, I still want a picture of his. I only got a tiny little glimpse at it from behind his cape—but you keep talking about how nice it is. Now that's not fair."

Gohan sighed, and continued chewing.

**November 2****nd**

Thankfully, Halloween had come and gone. While Gohan wasn't too keen on it, having Videl showing up in a bunch of random outfits had certainly been entertaining enough, but slightly trying. She kept attempting to get him to participate, despite the fact that he hadn't been raised to really appreciate such things.

Hell the only reason he celebrated Christmas even remotely now was because upon his return, his mother had insisted they have at least one family holiday. Why she chose that particular one escaped him, but apparently she had fond memories of it from her childhood years.

But now he was safe for at least a while from any and all of Videl's antics. While she liked Christmas, being wealthy certainly put a damper on the whole 'give and receive' deal that Christmas advocated. She wasn't a selfish person, sure, but her father… Well…

Gohan had agreed long ago to not make any unnecessary judgements on the man.

However, with the holidays looming, he did begin to ponder over presents. His mother was always relatively easy—he would buy her a knick knack of some sort, or a new dress. Chi Chi was really happy with anything someone gave her, just pleased that someone had even thought of her.

Goten would receive some sort of toy, Gohan just had to decide what. After all, demi-Saiyans tend to have a lot of strength and could easily break anything while they were as young as Goten was. Trunks had already broken every gaming system known to man, until Bulma took it upon herself to create Saiyan proof consoles and controllers.

Videl always denied him the chance to buy her anything, claiming she didn't need presents and that Gohan should save his money up for something more important. If he even bothered to get anything, he knew she'd only return it, and stuff the money back in his pocket when he wasn't looking.

The Briefs—well he was close to them, but not really gift buying close. Vegeta refused to participate, and Bulma assured him that he need not worry. If there was something that they wanted, then they got it. It was as simple as that. The only thing Bulma actively received on Christmas were hand-made projects from Trunks.

That really only left Piccolo, who he doubted would want a present in the first place.

When Piccolo arrived later that day, he broached the topic.

"I don't understand gifts," the Namekian replied, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't have a place to put anything, and I can create my own clothing." Gohan nodded, receiving the answer he'd already imagined. "Though, I would like to return this to you."

Gohan was presented with his copy of _The Princess Bride_, which he accepted, and returned to the bookcase. He turned to Piccolo.

"So why did you borrow it?" he asked, hoping he wasn't being too nosy.

"I asked your mother if she could help me read it," Piccolo admitted, looking a little flustered. He turned his head to the side, arms crossing as he stared at nothing in particular. "I know letters and some phrases—but piecing it all together… Well…"

"You… learned how to read?" Gohan mumbled, staring up into the alien's face.

"Not really." Shrug. "Not fluently, anyways. Your mother said I could read at the same level as Goten." He scowled, ignoring the smile Gohan had. "But I rather liked that novel—and I noticed that you skipped several places."

Gohan chuckled, nodding his head. "Yeah. I mean, I guess the funniest bit about this is, that's what the author discovers later on, too—that his father completely cut out whole entire parts of the story."

"Indeed," Piccolo grumbled, taking his seat on the couch. "Now, braniac, why don't you load up that Gauntlet game?"

Gohan smirked. "As you wish."

And he loved the look that Piccolo gave him.

**November 5****th**

Gohan was bored, and Piccolo either wasn't coming, or hadn't arrived. So, to occupy himself, he'd turned on some music. He was moving around the room, tidying up his video games, and picking up bottles or other items that he'd left out. As he moved around, he smiled at the music, dancing as he went.

He wasn't paying much mind, thus when Piccolo entered he was caught in the middle of his antics. Rather than being embarrassed, though, he laughed heartily at the look on Piccolo's face. The alien looked completely confused. Gohan merely paused in his movements, waving a greeting.

"Sorry Piccolo," Gohan chuckled, "I was just a little bored."

Piccolo nodded, turning his head just the tiniest bit to look at Gohan's phone, which was currently blasting music. The Namekian then looked back to Gohan, cocking his head to the side.

"So that's dancing?" He snorted.

"Oh, like you can do better," Gohan retorted, crossing his arms. Piccolo merely shrugged, stepping further into the living room.

"I never claimed anything," came the reply, "and I've never done it in the first place."*

"I figured," Gohan sighed, shaking his head. "Apparently you and my father never really did much of anything—it sounds incredibly boring." He laughed at the dirty look Piccolo shot him, but decided what the hell—he was gonna have fun today!

He took a few steps forward, and clasped Piccolo's hands in his, giving a devious smirk to the alien. Piccolo blinked a few times, before arching one eye ridge at the boy. It was truly a mark of how far they'd come, that there were no offended, confused looks. Just one of 'what the fuck now?'

Gohan swung Piccolo's hands back and forth to the beat for just a moment, moving his hips, and shifting his feet just a bit. The Namekian merely stood there, watching. Huffing and rolling his eyes, Gohan took another step forward.

"Come on, _Mister _Piccolo," Gohan challenged, narrowing his eyes, "maybe you can learn something today."

Piccolo's nostrils flared at the challenge, and he squinted his eyes right back to Gohan. They held the gaze for a moment longer, before Piccolo awkwardly shifted his body. Gohan was actually grateful for the fact that Piccolo had decided to wear his street clothes today.

They moved along, not even to the beat of the music that Gohan had playing. It was really stupid—he knew it—the two of them linking hands and taking awkward sidesteps, their shoes brushing the carpet. But for some reason, Gohan found himself enjoying it.

Then the songs changed. A rather slow one filtered out of the speakers, and Gohan prepared to let go. But Piccolo had shifted closer, eyes still trained on Gohan's face. The boy bit his lip, and moved in closer as well, their chests almost touching, hands aligned to their sides.

"The music changed," Piccolo noted, and Gohan smiled, loving how close he was to the Namekian's face. Considering the fact that the alien hadn't drawn back, Gohan figured he didn't have any complaints either.

"Yeah…" Gohan's voice trailed off, head tilting as he evened his breathing, eyes trailing down to his companion's mouth. "I could…" he choked on his words, finally allowing his nerves to catch up with him. "I could teach you how to slow dance. If you'd like, I mean."

He flushed, feeling uncertain now. Piccolo seemed to hesitate as well, before he finally nodded, eyes boring into Gohan. With the okay to continue, Gohan gave a quick, jerky nod, and felt his palms beginning to sweat. He hoped Piccolo didn't notice.

"Ok, so… You're going to take your hands," he gripped the Namekian's, lifting them slowly up, "and put them on my shoulders. Then I'm going to put my hands on your waist," he did so, furtively looking everywhere that wasn't Piccolo's face, "and we're going to move to the music."

He could hardly hear the music over the pounding of his heart in his ears, and he vaguely wondered why Piccolo was even allowing this to happen. In that moment, though, he couldn't think logically, and was instead completely caught up in the fact that Piccolo's arms were a comfortable weight on his shoulders.

The next song came on, just as slow as the on prior, and so Piccolo stayed in his position, the two circling in the middle of Gohan's apartment. The boy actually had time to reflect on how utterly bizarre this was—his former alien mentor and current crush was slow dancing with him in the middle of his shitty apartment with a bunch of anime posters and figurines plastered up everywhere.

He didn't care, though, because Piccolo was smiling now, and Gohan was pretty sure that their torsos had gotten closer at some point in the dance. Every time they took a step, they pressed ever closer, and Gohan was more aware of the height difference than ever before. He felt an irresistible urge to rock up on his tip toes, vaguely wondering if this is how Vegeta felt all the time.

His breath was coming faster than normal, and his pulse was truly pounding. There was no way that he could have predicted these events, and he was truthfully struggling to process them.

"It's like hugging," Piccolo suddenly said, and Gohan noted that his voice sounded off, "only moving."

"That's one way of putting it," Gohan muttered in reply. "Though, we're not nearly close enough for hugging."

Instant mortification at how stupid that had sounded. He wanted to punch himself in the face while in his Super Saiyan form. A blush immediately stormed its way across his face, and Gohan truly couldn't believe that, as Videl would have said, he'd reached a whole new 'level of dork'.

Piccolo didn't seem to mind. He merely grunted. "I'm pretty sure if I hugged while we tried to dance, you'd smother yourself in my shirt."

Gohan blinked, then laughed, head tilting back as he flexed his fingers on Piccolo's hip.

"It's not my fault you're so tall!" he griped, voice still full of teasing. "Anyways, I could always float—then we'd be even."

"Sure, kid," Piccolo chuckled, though the sound died in his throat when Gohan decided to follow through on his threat, and actually hovered off the ground. He gave Piccolo a challenging smirk.

"Can't smother me now," Gohan stuck his tongue out.

"I'm pretty sure I could," Piccolo returned, causing Gohan to arch a brow.

"Oh? How so?"

"Like this." And with that Piccolo—_the _Demon King Piccolo—actually deemed to turn to the couch, snatch up a pillow, and whack Gohan in the face with it. He was so momentarily stunned that he didn't even take offense, merely staring blankly from the pillow and back up to Piccolo's face.

"Oh…" Gohan muttered, lowering himself back to the ground, watching Piccolo's triumphant grin. "You are _so _on," the demi-Saiyan growled out, taking a predatory leap at the pillow. He was promptly hit in the face again.

**November 6****th**

"Videl," Gohan groaned, head hands, "I don't know if I can keep it a secret anymore…"

Videl blinked, staring down at her friend. "Okay, while I'm totally supportive of telling your boyfriend how you feel about him… can I ask what prompted this? I mean—I've been trying to get you to say something since all this started!"

He sighed. "Last night… I don't know…" he was grumbling and whining, obviously an unsure mess. In turn, Videl actually stayed quiet, allowing him to sort through his words. "Videl… I can't even explain what happened. I mean… We slow danced and had a pillow fight and…" He bit his lip.

"So what about the whole 'I don't care if he ever returns my feelings' stuff you were spewing?" Videl kicked her legs in time to her own beat, swinging them from the bench they currently occupied. Beside her, Gohan heaved another sigh.

"I still feel that way but… It's killing me Videl. Because I'm beginning to think it's not just me, y'know? I mean—if it is, so be it. But last night…" He dropped his gaze to the ground. "Videl… There was a point where we both hit the floor, and… I almost told him. Right then and there…"

And that was true… The memory was still so vivid…

_Gohan rammed into Piccolo, carrying them both to the ground. The carpet cushioned Piccolo's fall, and in turn Piccolo cushioned Gohan's. Once they were down, they were both laughing, rather loudly at that. It was so nice to hear the Namekian truly let go like that—his laugh booming instead of mocking or sneaky. _

_Gohan pushed himself up to his elbows and knees, face still rather close to the alien's. Piccolo looked at him then, mouth still open in a smile, and eyes still crinkled up. Gohan wanted desperately to kiss him then, more than he ever had. His lips tremored at the thought of pressing against those small lines, covering the Namekian in a very devout expression of his love. Eyes roamed hungrily over the alien's face, until they finally alighted on Piccolo's own._

_And Piccolo was staring at him too._

Videl was looking rather sympathetic, and even offered him a back pat as consolation. Her face was soft, eyebrows contracted downwards in a way that expressed her feelings. He muttered a quick thank-you at her willingness to sit through all of this.

"Don't worry," she smiled, leaning back on her hands, "the moment I get an alien boyfriend or girlfriend of my own, I'm dragging you through all of this, too."

"_Alien _boyfriend or girlfriend?" Gohan repeated, looking incredulously to his friend.

"What?" Videl demanded, sticking her nose up in the air. "You found out you were gay—why can't I?" And he laughed, loving that she'd missed the point.

**November 10****th**

Gohan flew out to his mother's, and was actually surprised when he landed in the yard, to catch sight of a familiar green Namekian. Piccolo was out in the front yard, and eager Goten with him as the two were sparring. It was certainly much gentler than what the alien had subjected Gohan to—but he supposed that was good in its own way.

The two paused in their training, turning to look at Gohan. Piccolo's face seemed to flicker, before he simply nodded his head, though Gohan noticed what looked suspiciously like a blush. Goten was immediately bouncing on his toes, waving dramatically and calling out Gohan's name.

Piccolo dropped a fist on the back of the child's head, chastising him for his distraction.

Chuckling, Gohan shook his head, and made his way into the house. Heading into the kitchen, he saw his mother there, shuffling around and preparing what looked like a light lunch. By light, this obviously meant rather large slabs of deer being prepared, along with some fish already roasting. She also had a large bowl of salad that she was mixing.

When Gohan entered, though, Chi Chi quickly dropped everything, and hurriedly washed her hands. Once she was done, she swiped her hands down her apron, enveloping him in a loving hug. He smiled, loving the way she always smelled the same. It didn't even have a name—it was simply 'mom'.

After their greetings, Chi Chi returned to preparing dinner, shuffling to and fro. Gohan wisely seated himself at the kitchen table, knowing from experience not to be in Chi Chi's way when she got to going. The woman was a spitfire, especially if it was in a place as important to her as her kitchen.

"What brings you out here, dear?" she prompted, quickly depositing a coke can on the table before returning to her tasks. He gave an appreciative noise, opened the can, and took a big gulp.

"I know Christmas is soon," he replied. "I had an idea of what to get you, but I wanted to make sure there wasn't something specific before I went out."

"Honey," Chi Chi paused, turning to give him a soft look. "Don't spend your money on me. You only have what the scholarships give you, you know." He nodded, though waved away her concern.

"Mom, its fine. I always keep enough saved up anyhow."

She breathed heavily out of her nose, but decided to let it go. She knew he could be quite persistent when he put his mind to it.

"So, what did you want?" he asked again, taking another swig of his coke.

"For you to find someone to settle down with," she immediately replied, knowing it would catch him off guard. Indeed, he choked on his drink, coughing roughly as he set his drink back down on the table. Swiping at his mouth, Gohan huffed.

"You did that on purpose," he grumbled.

"Maybe," Chi Chi admitted, shooting him a wink. "You really do need to ask out that crush of yours though." Gohan looked distinctly uncomfortable. "I mean, he's been especially touchy when I mention you lately—though I doubt he'll ask you first."

Gohan jerked, jaw dropping as he stared, uncomprehending, at his mother. Chi Chi, for her part, merely continued on with preparing dinner.

"Dear, please close your mouth. Flies will get in."

He complied, but only because his brain was so shorted out he couldn't feasibly deny the request. Gohan rocked back in his chair, head thumping against the wall. So many questions were swirling around in his head, but he couldn't seem to express any of them.

All he could do was stare at Chi Chi's moving form.

"Oh!" She finally did turn, one hand on her cocked hip. "I just realized you didn't know that I figured it out. Well—let's just say Piccolo and I had a private little chat, added up on and two to three, and here we are."

He stared.

"Mom…" Gohan choked, cleared his throat, and then tried again. "Mom. It's not that easy! I can't just—I can't just confess to Piccolo and…" he dropped his voice down a little lower, worried that the Namekian could hear them.

Chi Chi giggled. "He can't hear you, dear. He's outside being preoccupied with Goten. Anyways, sure you can."

"Why are you so okay with this, anyways?" Gohan demanded, abruptly changing the subject.

Chi Chi sighed, and crossed her arms. She gave a thoughtful hum, tapping at her chin, and looked out the window. "At first I was a little skeptical… When Piccolo originally came to me… Well, let's just say I may have threatened him." Gohan stared at his mother, ever astonished by her brazen behavior. "Then I had plenty of time to think about it…"

He was still staring.

"Honestly, Gohan, I don't know why you're acting so surprised. I haven't hated Piccolo in a very long time." Chi Chi shook her head, returning to her oven. Gohan still couldn't believe the shock of this, that his mother was simply sitting there and okay-ing him dating the one man she'd tried her whole life to keep him away from.

This was too bizarre, and he honestly didn't know what to do.

So instead he tried to get answers for something else.

"How…" again he had to clear his throat, fighting back the blush that was mounting. "How would I even do it—asking him out, I mean? What if he doesn't even know what a b-b-boyfriend is?" That last word had almost hurt to say, and imaging it in relation to Piccolo was a little weird.

Chi Chi hummed. "Yes, I definitely thought about that, too. Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about assigning labels to Piccolo—you'd only confuse him. What you can do, is make it blatantly obvious that you are mentally and, well I'm going to assume this next bit but, physically attracted to him."

Gohan's face was on fire.

"How would I even do that?" Gohan grumbled, drumming his fingers against the table. It was surreal in ways he couldn't describe to be discussing this with her.

"Why not say it outright?" she offered.

"Mom!" he blanched, staring miserably up at her. "I'd never make it through with that plan—I'd choke and die before I even got to the second word!"

Chi Chi sighed, nodding. "Yes, yes… Well… How about Christmas? That's a warm, fuzzy little holiday. Buy him something nice and express your interests. Simple."

"Simple other than the fact that Piccolo doesn't celebrate holidays!" Gohan pointed out. "I wouldn't even see him Christmas, since I'd be here."

"Well, he's going to be here too." Chi Chi tilted her head, giving him a rather secretive smile. Gohan blinked, rocking back just a bit. "I suppose he didn't mention it, seeing as he's not really looking forward to it. I invited him, told him that this year it would just be you, me, and Goten. Once he found out that the whole crowd wasn't going to be here, he certainly loosened up a bit."

Gohan merely nodded, dumbfounded once again.

"Oh, but you are more than welcome to invite Videl. I'm sure she and her father have some grand plans but—,"

"No," Gohan interrupted, holding up his arms in a definitive X. "Videl is allowed nowhere near Piccolo until I clear all this out of the air."

Chi Chi looked surprised for just a moment, before shrugging it off. "All right, then. There's your chance. If he's against presents, though, maybe skip that whole bit. Either way, it'll be a nice day, you'll have me and Goten to hold you if you fail and need to cry."

Gohan grimaced, glaring at her.

"Speaking of, will you go get those two? The food's ready."

Gohan slid from his seat, and meandered outside, hands stuffed in his pockets. Once he was in the yard, he paused, watching his brother and Piccolo. The Namekian had on his usual façade, face blank as he sparred with Goten, occasionally spitting out complaints about the child's fighting.

"Hey," he finally called, the two pausing mid-kick, "mom said that the food is ready."

Goten was immediately gone, shooting past Gohan without another word. His clothes were actually buffeted by the wind from his brother's eagerness, and Gohan laughed, turning his head just the slightest bit. When he faced front once more, Piccolo was there, looking rather uncomfortable.

Gohan contracted his eyebrows, reveling over what his mother had told him. The way she'd spoken, she'd been pretty certain about Piccolo's feelings matching up rather nicely with Gohan's own. That made his stomach flutter all the more now that Piccolo was up close.

And he certainly flushed more than usual when Piccolo actually deemed to stoop down, and sweep Gohan into a hug, holding the boy against his frame. Gohan returned the grip, pressing his face into Piccolo's chest, not even caring that the Namekian was a little sweaty.

"Hello to you too," Gohan chuckled, finally drawing away from the alien.

Piccolo grunted, rolling his shoulders and arching his spine. Gohan watched, rather morose at the fact that Piccolo was in his gi, and there was less to admire. The oblivious Namekian finally headed into the house, and Gohan followed, wondering if he could truly follow through with his mother's task.

A Christmas confession.

**November 15****th**

His mother's task was ever present in his mind now, but he tried to squash it down whenever he was in Piccolo's presence. The last thing he needed was for his own emotions to come spilling out, making the Namekian uncomfortable with him. He had discussed it with Videl, however, who had been completely offended by the fact that she'd been denied access to the Christmas party. ("_Me?_ Embarrass _you_? Gohan I would never!") That had helped him calm his nerves—though he was no closer to what he was actually going to say.

He put those thoughts aside, though, as he entered his apartment. Inside, Piccolo was already seated on the couch, his legs curled up beneath him as he read _The Princess Bride_. Gohan felt his heart jolt at the sight, and his gaze softened into the love-sick one he wore so often now.

Upon his entrance, Piccolo turned to face him, antennae wiggling as he lowered the book to his lap.

"Good evening, Gohan," Piccolo greeted, a smile curling up against his features. Gohan grunted something in response, rather astounded at his own eloquence, really. The Namekian didn't seem to mind. He simply turned back to his book, flipping one of the pages.

"Already re-reading it?" Gohan prompted, taking a seat on the couch.

Piccolo tilted his head. "It's good practice—and I like it." The Namekian's lips quivered, and his eye ridges contracted. There was something buried in that stare that Gohan wanted to further understand, but he held his curiosity in check.

Gohan merely hummed. "So—how did mom badger you into going to the Christmas party?"

"She didn't."

"What do you mean?"

"I agreed on my own."

Gohan paused there. He didn't know what to say back to that. For the life of him he couldn't imagine the great Demon King Piccolo actually conceding to attend something as frivolous as a Christmas party. But then again, could he really imagine the great Demon King curled up reading a book in some college kid's apartment?

"Well… Relatively on my own." Gohan was startled by Piccolo's voice—generally the Namekian let conversations die and burn in hell, but here he was furthering one. "I was a bit reluctant at first, until she told me it just be you three."

Gohan nodded, mouth a little dry.

"I'm going to go get myself a drink," Gohan announced for no particular reason, and hastily stood from the couch.

"Get me a glass of water, kid?" Piccolo asked, casting Gohan a quick glance over his shoulder. The boy froze at the request, only nodding once Piccolo's gaze grew more intense. He shambled into the kitchen, completely caught off guard by the domesticity of what was happening.

Trying not to think too hard on it, he grabbed a soda, and poured water into Piccolo's usual cup. He set both down on the coffee table. So many questions rose like bile into the back of his throat, pressing to get out, but he couldn't actually decide what it was he wanted to ask.

He merely sat there, palms on his thighs, burning through his jeans.

"Gohan?" Piccolo was leaning forward, feet planted firmly in the carpet once more as he set the novel off to the side. Graceful fingers wrapped around the handle of his cup, drawing it up so he could sip at his water. His eyes remained locked upon Gohan's.

"I'm fine, Piccolo," Gohan replied, shaking his head. "Just… Got a lot on my mind. You see, mom…" His voice trailed off, remembering that this was one problem in particular he couldn't share with Piccolo. With how quickly he'd shut down, though, Piccolo noticed, and narrowed his eyes.

"Is she still harping on about you marrying and providing grandchildren?" Piccolo guess, cocking his head to the side.

Gohan laughed. "Yeah, you could say that."

The Namekian snorted. "I'll never understand her obsession with such things."

"Me neither," Gohan admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "But what can I do?"

"Indeed," Piccolo muttered, gaze wandering.

They sat in silence for just a moment, until Gohan offered to go for a walk. Piccolo readily agreed, depositing his cup in the sink as Gohan slung on a light jacket, winding a scarf around his neck. Once the demi-Saiyan was readily prepared for the weather, they set out.

The two stayed side by side, not really saying anything while they meandered slowly through town. Gohan kept his hands stuffed in his jacket, tucking his face deep within his scarf. It did allow him a free pass into staring at the Namekian.

Eventually they wound up at the park, Gohan choosing a rather large, grassy section to actually sit down on. Piccolo stood beside him, tall and looming above him. The sun had yet to set, but already the chill winds were starting, and Gohan actually shifted closer, leaning his head against Piccolo's leg.

The Namekian stiffened for just a moment, before lowering himself to the ground.

Gohan shot him a curious glance, before Piccolo's shoulder was pressed against his. Peering to the side, Gohan saw what he swore was another blush burning against the Namekian's face.

"You were cold, right?" the voice was a sad attempt to sound angry, or frustrated, much like the one that the alien had attempted to enforce all of Gohan's young life. It was so wonderfully familiar, that Gohan actually felt himself giggling like he was a child once again.

Piccolo gave him an affronted look.

"I'm not laughing at you Piccolo, I promise," Gohan smiled, cheek resting against the Namekian's shoulder, while he angled his chin upwards, staring warmly into the broad green face. "I'm just laughing because I'm happy."

Piccolo blinked a few times, shifting as Gohan moved even closer, hip pressing against the alien's as he kept his face pressed against the warm shoulder.

"You're weird, kid," Piccolo finally grunted, turning his face away.

"Definitely," Gohan readily agreed. Piccolo fell silent, and so Gohan followed his lead. Instead he focused his attention on the first sign of starlight, his breath coming out in small puffs from his lips to obscure his vision.

Gohan felt movement, and realized Piccolo was looking down at him.

"Yes?" Gohan murmured, noticing that the alien had gotten exceptionally closer. His nose was less than an inch from Gohan's own, and his gaze was unreadable. There were small flickering movements of his eyes, and his lips were open just the slightest, as if Piccolo were attempting to speak…

"Gohan…" Piccolo furrowed his brow, and he was so close now that Gohan could seal the distance…

His phone chimed, making him jerk backwards. Angrily, he jerked his phone out, fingers tightening around the device as he saw that it was just spam mail from Sharpner. Resisting the urge to spit curse words, Gohan stuffed his phone back in his pocket.

The moment was over, though, whatever it had been. Piccolo had withdrawn completely, even his shoulder separated from Gohan's. The boy inwardly bemoaned the loss of contact, but decided that he could deal with it.

He merely tucked his knees up to his chest, and hugged them closer, watching the moon and stars envelop the night sky.

And eventually, when he'd sat there long enough, he felt the press of Piccolo's shoulder once more.

"I think it's time to go home," Piccolo said, voice low and deep.

"Yeah, Piccolo. I guess it is."

***I guess technically Piccolo kind of danced before—if we're counting the Battle of the Gods karaoke scene (still one of my favorites of all time, by the way)—but for the purposes of this fic, we'll say he has not**

**Anyways! Thank-you so much for reading this far, and please let me know what you think**


	7. December

**December 1****st**

Gohan was in a daze.

Christmas was fast approaching, and his last few weeks with Piccolo had been so bizarre he didn't know what to do. The Namekian was consistently closer than ever before, and the boy was honestly finding it harder and harder to actually apply thought whenever those lips came even close to kissing distance.

His need for masturbation had also spiked recently, and he was always excusing himself to the bathroom as of late. There was no telling what assumptions Piccolo was making about these little adventures, and Gohan really just had to hope and pray that if Piccolo heard any noises with his extensive hearing, that he just attributed them to whatever humans did in the bathroom.

But Gohan couldn't help it. Every time those lips drew near, Gohan had torrid fantasies about crashing against them, his hands rolling down that lithe body just to fervidly cup Piccolo's ample ass and—

He flushed, crossing his legs.

The object of his affections merely sat there, completely and utterly oblivious as he continued to read from his newest book—_The Secret Garden_. Truthfully, Gohan was attempting to subtly nudge Piccolo into understanding humans just a bit more, and was thus focusing on older novels, outside of such works like _Lord of the Flies_ and _Animal Farm_. Not really the most helpful impressions.

He had also discovered that Piccolo fared much better with older books, anyways, considering there was no new technology to astound him. Simple things such as plants, people, and animals were easily within his grasp. Throw in sex, cars, and guns—you completely lost Piccolo.

Indeed, Piccolo was immersed in this book, much as he had been with _The Princess Bride_. It was nice to actually see Piccolo with a hobby, considering that all the Namekian had ever had was meditation and sparring. Which, ever since he'd set the alien up on books, seemed to become less of an issue. Piccolo wasn't pressing it so hard anymore—and the fact that Gohan made it a point to still visit Vegeta on occasion had him at peace.

Sighing, he stared down at his lap, pressing his thighs together. The only current problem in their little day to day life was the impending confession, and of course, Gohan's erections. He dropped his chin into his palm, glaring dismally at the walls.

Momentarily, he debated turning on the TV, and perhaps distracting himself from his errant thoughts, when Piccolo actually garnered his attention. The Namekian had deemed fit to actually close the novel, setting it off to the side as he turned to Gohan.

He blinked at the alien, who merely stretched, not saying a word.

Gohan felt his knees tremble, just a bit.

"Gohan?" Piccolo prompted, arching an eye ridge at him.

"Just—bathroom." Gohan immediately shot to his feet, rushing farther back into the apartment. He heard Piccolo mutter something—"Damn, kid! Go to the doctor!"—before he locked himself in, sliding to the cool tiled floor.

Groaning, he quickly fought to relieve himself, before retuning back to the living room, still feeling incredibly sheepish.

"Better now?" Piccolo grunted, elbows on his knees as he glared up at Gohan.

"You have no idea…"

**December 2****nd**

Piccolo floated, legs crossed, up at the Lookout. Below, he saw clouds roiling across the sky, and vaguely pondered about asking Gohan about his increasing need to masturbate—and did he know that Piccolo could easily hear him through the walls?

But, the more he thought about it, the more he turned against the idea of ever mentioning it, because then he'd have to explain what the hell he started feeling when he heard those gasps and moans.

No, no, Piccolo decided. Best to leave it alone entirely.

**December 5****th**

Gohan glared at Videl, eyes narrowing as he stared at her. She was blithely ignoring him, trotting alongside as they made their way home. For his part, he had attempted to stop her, dropping facts left and right as to why this was a bad idea.

The only downside to having Videl as a friend, however, was that facts didn't really work in your favor.

Despite her affinity towards Halloween, the girl was now equally thrilled to be celebrating Christmas. She had changed her outfit to match the festivities, and was even whistling along to carols that Gohan didn't know very well as she walked alongside him.

"Videl, I do not approve of this."

"I know."

"And you're still going to do this?"

"Why of course!"

"Have you no compassion for how I'm feeling?"

"Not really."

Gohan pursed his lips, arms crossing huffily across his chest.

He was not a fan of this plan—not at all. Videl was all for it. In her arms was a box filled with different Christmas decorations, a few of them trailing outside of their confines for how heavily packed it was. The girl was insistent upon the fact that Gohan needed to get in the 'festive spirit', and had thus invited herself over to his house to decorate.

"It'll be fun, Gohan," she whined, tilting her head to him.

"Don't think for a second that I don't know that this is basically a plan to come over and see Piccolo." He gave her a pointed look, to which she returned with her own flabbergasted façade. Her eyes bugged out comically, and her jaw sagged downwards.

"Gohan! I would never invite myself over—in this glorious season of giving—_just _to get a glimpse at you and your boyfriend!" She tutted at him, shaking her head. "Honestly."

"Whatever," he griped, pouting his lips out. "Your obsession with Piccolo is rivaling my own."

"You can say whatever mean things you want, Gohan," Videl smirked, "but I don't have to go jerk off every time I get a look at that—how did you describe it again?—'sumptuous ass', wasn't it?"

Gohan flushed, eyes making friends with the pavement as he felt the need to internally combust on the spot. "I'm never telling you anything again," he grumbled, his face still hot.

"I don't know why you do in the first place," Videl chuckled, nudging him with her elbow. "I mean, you've known me for years now! How else would I react?"

"Well, we were dating for a good chunk of those," he argued, hands curling into fists, "and you never teased me this bad!"

"You also didn't have an alien fetish back then."

"I don't have one now!"

"Do so!"

"Ugh!" He threw his hands in the air, not even sure what he was arguing over. There was no sense to Videl, and he didn't know why he consistently tried to make some exist.

"Maybe I'm just jealous, anyways," Videl teased, faking a pout. "I mean—you never called my ass anything!"

Gohan actually wished for a new villain to come plummeting to Earth at that exact moment, just so he wouldn't have to deal with this.

Piccolo sat in the apartment, reading his book. He'd just started this one, and was thus far appreciative of it. He didn't fully understand what all was happening, but he could at least admire the visuals and female lead. _Jane Eyre_, he remember, staring at the glossy gold letters on the cover.

Humming thoughtfully, he felt his ears twitch, recognizing the sound of voices approaching. He felt Gohan's familiar ki, yet another form accompanied him. Curious, Piccolo set his book on the table, and rose from his seat.

Once he'd stood, the front door opened, and there was Gohan. The boy's cheeks were a deep red, which Piccolo assumed was from the cold, and his eyes remained suspiciously averted. He couldn't help but throw the boy a soft smile, feeling heat in his own core at the sight of those ruffled black spikes. Behind him came Videl, who tromped inside, dropping a box of foreign objects on the floor.

"Hi, Piccolo," she greeted, brushing hair away from her face as she shut the door behind her. Videl was looking extremely… Interesting today. A large red sweater hung from her frame, decorated with little green trees and bright lights. Her bangs were clipped into place with some little bauble, and her boots were rather fuzzy.

He didn't know what to say, so he stared, blankly.

Gohan snickered off to the side, and Piccolo glared at the boy. He was ignored, however, as Gohan set about kicking off his shoes, and undoing all the buttons on his coat. There seemed to be some measure of tension in the room, as both Gohan and Videl continued to shift their gazes back and forth.

Piccolo decided to ignore it.

Videl was moving then, anyways, skirting around the living room, presumably looking for something. Gohan kept his gaze locked on her, eyes narrowing into what could be defined as nothing outside of deep rooted suspicion.

He was only more mystified whenever Videl came up behind him, and let loose a small squeal. Hissing, he slapped his hands to his ears, glaring pointedly at the girl. She muttered a quick apology, before shooting back over to Gohan.

"Y'know, Gohan… I'd say sumptuous was a _damn_ good word."

Piccolo stared at the two, wondering what the hell was going on.

Videl strung lights all along the walls, standing on tip toe so she could easily shove tacks in. Gohan, off to the side, was begrudgingly set to the task of pinning up holly and mistletoe—on the condition that Videl was not allowed to enforce any Christmas traditions regarding the foliage. Piccolo was the only one not participating, as he'd quickly taken his seat once more, nose buried in his book again.

Gohan spent his time floating through the room, pinning up whatever Videl directed him, occasionally throwing glances at the peaceful Namekian. Really, with all the lights up and flickering, Gohan was able to truly appreciate how nice Piccolo looked…

"Hey now," Videl reprimanded, throwing a hand full of tinsel at him, "focus!"

Gohan spluttered, jutting his tongue out as his friend. She merely winked, twirling back to her own task. It was really amazing how much she'd fit inside that box, and if she'd used a capsule he could only imagine how much more she could've managed to bring.

"You're idiots," Piccolo griped from his seat on the couch, peering up from his pages to look at Gohan. The boy rolled his eyes.

"Whatever." Videl whipped out her phone, smirking at Gohan. He stared at her, before comprehension dawned upon him.

"Videl," he whined, drooping his shoulders.

"Gohan," she returned, flipping through her apps.

"Fine… Piccolo, I would like to formally apologize for what's about to happen," Gohan spoke to the alien, voice somber as he bowed his head. Piccolo merely wrinkled up his nose, eyes shifting between the duo, before Videl punched her thumb down, and Christmas music spilled from the speakers of her phone.

Piccolo actually bared his fangs at Videl, who merely ignored him, launching into her own rendition of Deck the Halls, whilst the two boys in her company shared sympathetic glances. Gohan did his best to drown it out, but he did catch himself smiling just a bit more.

Videl, dancing along to her music, actually scooped up a long string of garland, and whirled her way over to Piccolo, draping it about his shoulders as he sat there, eyes wide. Gohan stuffed a knuckle in his mouth, attempting to hide his amusement at Videl's tenacity.

"Child," Piccolo rumbled, the sound coming from deep in his chest. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Decorating," Videl primly responded, giving Piccolo a rather toothy grin.

The alien hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "Really?" he prompted.

"Truly," she replied.

Piccolo stood then, snatching up Videl by the back of her sweater, hoisting her several feet off the ground. She flailed her arms and legs out beneath her, eyes going wide as she looked at the carpet below her. The Namekian said nothing, however, and merely strode over to a nail that Gohan had been hammering into the wall.

The demi-Saiyan wisely shifted to the side, allowing Piccolo room to move. Ignoring Videl's protests, Piccolo aligned the bottom of her sweater with the nail, and released her, leaving her swinging from it like pendulum.

"Hey!" Videl cried, legs kicking against the wall as she glared up at Piccolo.

"What?" He demanded, smirk growing wider across his face, "I was just decorating."

And Gohan laughed, and eventually, Videl did too.

**December 10****th**

"If she's not here every day, must you keep these decorations up?" Piccolo complained, sitting at the kitchen table. Chi Chi had supplied the two with food for the day, and they had taken up occupancy in the kitchen. The Namekian was in the process of rationing out food, but had become side-tracked by all the glittering lights and cheerful caricatures plastered all around him.

"I dunno," Gohan shrugged, watching as a light strand swayed from the ceiling, all of its bulbs casting an intricate pattern onto Piccolo's face. "I don't really mind it as much as I did before."

Piccolo huffed, sliding Gohan his plate. "Damn humans."

**December 15****th**

Winter break began, and Gohan praised every God above for that simple fact. A whole month basically with no papers, no classes, and most of all—plenty of Piccolo. He tried very hard not to think of the fact that he was supposed to be confessing in less than two weeks.

Which, it turned out, was easy enough considering Piccolo was plenty of distraction. The two spent their days doing absolutely nothing around the apartment—taking walks, playing games, or simply reading books on opposite ends of the couch.

It was so comfortable that the fact that he was sitting here and thinking of jeopardizing it—Gohan shook his head. Piccolo shot him a worried look, which he quickly waved away.

**December 20****th**

Gohan and Piccolo were out walking, the backs of their hands brushing as they went. Piccolo marveled at it, that such a small touch seemed so significant for some undefinable reason. Especially here lately, where Piccolo didn't find himself repulsed by Gohan's proximity. In fact, he felt the opposite.

He just didn't know how to properly convey that.

Piccolo did know that there had been a strange sensation in his stomach as of late—ever since the night where he'd drawn close to Gohan's face. When he'd looked down at the boy, he'd wanted to…. Well, he didn't know what. There had been something there—he'd blurted out his name—but he'd been unable to come up with anything before Gohan's phone had blasted.

So now he was left to stew in silence, occasionally touching Gohan to see if those feelings ever dissipated.

And he didn't know how to feel over the fact that they didn't.

**December 24****th**

It was late, but Piccolo was still at Gohan's apartment. He didn't mention it, and neither did the Namekian. Instead, the two stayed in their positions—Gohan was curled up on the opposite arm of the couch, munching on popcorn as he watched TV, and Piccolo was reading _Gate to Women's Country_. It was the first contemporary piece that Gohan had given him, but Piccolo seemed to be handling it well.

"Excited for dinner tomorrow?" Gohan finally spoke, licking butter off of his fingers so he could grab the remote. Piccolo's gaze bored into him.

"Sure, kid," he grunted, eyes dragging back to the pages.

Gohan sighed, sparing a glance to the tiny little plastic tree that Videl had placed in his room. Underneath were two packages—for his mother and Goten. He supposed it looked rather pathetic compared to what went on at other households, but Gohan found he didn't mind all that much. Presents weren't a big deal in the Z-fighters' world.

He finally grabbed the remote, and flicked the TV off. Slowly, he shifted his gaze to Piccolo. The alien seemed to feel where the attention was, as he closed his novel, setting it on the table. Gohan felt a smile stretch across his face, and he shifted a whole cushion closer.

Piccolo arched his eyebrow.

"It's twelve, Piccolo," Gohan said, voice low.

"Yes, Gohan. The clock says that." Piccolo rolled his eyes at the child's antics, not prepared for the demi-Saiyan to lurch forward, slinging his arms around Piccolo's shoulders. Gohan laughed, feeling the alien react, grasping Gohan's waist and holding him in place.

"Merry Christmas, Piccolo," Gohan snickered, shoving his tongue out at Piccolo held him in place. Their faces stayed inches apart, Gohan's knees pressing into the couch as he stood there. Green hands anchored him, still warm and pressing against his sides.

"Merry Christmas, kid…" Piccolo muttered, and Gohan bit fervently at his lip, not willing to draw back just yet.

"Say… Piccolo?" Gohan's voice was barely a whisper, knots forming in his stomach. He reassured himself by shifting a little closer, forearms pressing against Piccolo's neck. The alien's breath was hot against his face.

Piccolo grunted, fingers twitching.

"Do you… know what it means to like someone?" he didn't know what the hell he was doing or what was about to happen, but he couldn't really find it in him to stop. In front of him Piccolo was looking so dazed and entranced, his lips open and lush…

"What do you mean?" came the rumbled reply, and Gohan felt it—truly felt it.

"To… Want to hold someone, kiss them… love them?" It sounded so stupid but he needed to know, and he poured all of his unanswered questions into his gaze.

Piccolo shifted, head turning to the side just a bit, antennae quivering. A blush was flaring across the Namekian's cheeks, and Gohan bit his lip.

"Why are you asking this all of a sudden?" Piccolo finally asked, voice snapping just the slightest bit, clearly being defensive. Swallowing, Gohan decided to continue on. This would be Piccolo's first line of defense.

"Because…" Gohan clenched his eyes shut "… because I have someone I feel that way about."

The Namekian blinked, slowly.

"And that person…" Gohan gritted his teeth "… is you, Piccolo."

Piccolo sat there, staring at him. Their breath still mingled, but Gohan didn't feel any sort of pleasure in it now. He simply felt sick. His stomach flipped and churned, and he felt vomit at the back of his throat. Miserably he sat there, wondering just how stupid he had to be to ever think that Piccolo—

"You want to do stuff with me," Piccolo was speaking, slowly, "like the characters in the books?" The alien furrowed his brow, tilting his head just a bit to stare down where his fingers wiggled against Gohan's hips.

"I do," he decided to go for a rather simple answer, unsure of which way this would go. Either Piccolo was mulling this over, and thinking favorably, or he was about to punch Gohan in the face and leave.

The Namekian pursed his lips, then tugged softly on Gohan, drawing the boy even closer. The entirety of his face was purple now, and Gohan could see minute tremors rolling throughout his body. He was wondering over whether or not this was a confirmation, until he decided to actually ask.

"Piccolo?" The alien's eyes slid up to meet his. "May I kiss you?"

Green lips moved in a quivering line, and Gohan saw the press of fangs. A sudden jerk drew his attention, though, and Gohan smiled, realizing that Piccolo had nodded. Months of agonizing over his true feelings had gotten him thus far, and Gohan truly couldn't believe it.

He lifted one hand, caressing Piccolo's cheek, swiping his thumb across the soft skin. This seemed to calm Piccolo, for he leaned in, breathing heavy through his nose. Gohan took this opportunity to turn to the other side of Piccolo's face, and gave a light kiss to his cheek.

Piccolo's eyes widened slightly, staring down at Gohan's beaming face. Personally, he felt a sweeping calm fall upon him, and felt that all of this agonizing had been worth it. Just for this one, penultimate moment where he had felt his lips brushing against Piccolo's skin…

"How do you feel?" Gohan asked, suddenly, now embracing both sides of Piccolo's face with is hands, cradling the strong jawline that he so thoroughly adored. The Namekian shifted, face burning an even more violent shade of purple.

"I feel fine," Piccolo murmured, though he looked mildly panicked.

"I don't want to stress you out," Gohan said, releasing Piccolo. "So how about you think on it, okay?"

"Yes…" Piccolo rose up, heading towards the door. He paused, momentarily, as if he had something he wanted to say, before he took his leave.

And Gohan smiled.

**December 25****th**

Gohan arrived at his mother's house in high spirits. Outside, he saw that Chi Chi had gotten into the festive mood, as there were lights strung upon every inch of the house, and a few baubles in the trees outside. Inside he could already feel everyone's energy—including Piccolo.

At that, Gohan had to smile, calming himself slightly as he reflected back to last night. He knew that nothing outwardly would change—there was no way the Namekian was going to be ready to show public affection, if he ever was—but Gohan didn't care. All that mattered was in the quiet of his own apartment, Gohan had gotten to confess his feelings, and Piccolo hadn't outright denied him.

Once he was certain he was calm enough, Gohan pushed the door open, shouting out his greetings as he deposited his two presents beneath the tree. Chi Chi was immediately upon him, hugging him and delivering a soft kiss to his cheek. Goten jumped on his back, ruffling up Gohan's hair, despite his protests.

And, on the couch, he saw Piccolo blush, giving Gohan a passive wave.

Even that simple motion made his heart pulse.

Then he realized what Piccolo was wearing, and had to stifle his giggles.

Chi Chi herself was in a rather fuzzy Christmas sweater, decorated with tiny snowmen and polar bears. Goten was in on as well—and his showcased tiny elves dancing around. But all of that Gohan could have foreseen happening. What he hadn't been prepared for, though, was for Piccolo Daimao Junior to be seated on his mother's couch, surrounding in twinkling lights, wearing a Christmas sweater.

His was a dark red color, decorated with little presents all done up to the nines. It was obviously too small, stretched across his large frame to the point where Gohan was certain that the knitted material was probably ready to snap at any moment.

Piccolo seemed to recognize what, exactly, Gohan was looking at, and chose to snap his teeth at the boy in a snarl. Gohan merely chuckled, taking a seat on the couch beside his crush. The alien shifted, his shoulder just barely touching Gohan's.

"Why the hell don't you have to wear one?" Piccolo demanded, eyeballing Gohan furiously out of the corner of his eye. He'd just worn a simple blue sweater and his normal blue jeans—he could feel the envy practically radiating from his companion.

"Why are you wearing one in general?" Gohan chuckled, watching as Piccolo pulled a face, like he'd eaten something particularly nasty.

"Your _mother_," he sent a dirty look at Chi Chi, who merely smirked in his direction, "decided that I wasn't festive enough." The alien raised his lip slightly.

"I think you look good," Gohan murmured, eyes sliding up to the Namekian's purple face.

"Whatever, kid. I don't particularly care about looking 'good'." Despite that, the alien did settle down just a bit, actually uncrossing his legs so he could lean forward just a bit more. Gohan smiled at that, reveling in the fact that now he could say such things, and Piccolo didn't seem to truly mind.

Then he saw his mother's gaze locked on the pair, a knowing smile curling up at her lips.

"All right, boys," she clapped her hands, giving them all of a soft smile. Piccolo stuck his tongue out whenever she turned her gaze to Goten. Gohan snickered. "I'm going to go put the finishing touch on the food. I'll call you in whenever it's ready."

She left the room then, pausing to give Gohan one soft pat to his shoulder.

"Mr. Piccolo," Goten spoke up then, eyes wide as he regarded the Namekian.

"Don't call me that," the alien griped, claws digging into his jean clad knee.

"Mr. Piccolo," Goten persisted, and said man threw his eyes heavenward, "I've never seen you in blue jeans."

"Well the Christmas sweater would look stupid with my gi," Piccolo grumbled.

"I thought you didn't care about looking good?" Gohan teased, bumping his elbow against the alien. Piccolo retracted, huffily crossing his arms once more, attempting to block out the Son boys' laughter. Goten did seem appeased, though, and returned to snooping around the Christmas tree, prodding at the few packages he had underneath.

"For the record," Piccolo grunted, ducking down so he could speak to Gohan, "if you keep up this sass of yours, next time we train, you'll regret it." He narrowed his eyes menacingly, but the smile at the corner of his lips betrayed it all.

Gohan pressed his thighs together, feeling a shiver run down his spine—at both proximity and what those words entailed to his mind. "Oh really?" he returned, smiling despite himself.

"Stop that," Piccolo rumbled, looking pointedly to Gohan's lap. "You always do that, then run off to the bathroom. I'm not explaining to your mother what you do in there."

"_What_?!" Gohan yelped, jerking back from Piccolo, his face a flushed mess. Goten, startled by his brother's shout, turned to give the two a curious look. Piccolo distracted him once more by saying that one of the presents looked like a corner had already been opened. Immediately the boy was back to snooping, prodding each present with meticulous care.

Gohan, however, drew Piccolo's attention back to him, demanding answers. The alien shifted, as if uncomfortable for just a moment, and he looked as if he severely regretted saying anything. Eventually, though, once he discovered that Gohan wasn't letting it go, he relented.

"I can hear you in the bathroom. And you always get that weird look on your face and start pressing your legs together before you go," Piccolo muttered, face turning into a few curious shades of violet as he spoke. Gohan felt as if he might as well die. Admitting his feelings was one thing—but this…

"Piccolo… That's because of… Because of what we discussed last night," Gohan mumbled, hands fidgeting in his lap as he gave his fingers a curious amount of attention. He couldn't look up into Piccolo's face, but he could easily say that his boner had most certainly up and died.

He couldn't see Piccolo, though he knew the alien had shifted his position.

"I know you probably don't know what I'm talking about, but—,"

"A heat, at the area between your legs?" Piccolo said suddenly, and Gohan blinked, shocked into silence. He managed a mute nod. "Then yes, I know what you're talking about."

"Oh."

"Indeed."

"Around me—or..?"

"Who the hell else around?" Piccolo snapped. Gohan felt as if it was supposed to admonish him, but he couldn't deny the shitty grin that was spreading all across his face. "I don't want to discuss it right now."

"Certainly." Gohan agreed, realizing just how odd this truly was. There was no way he could live with himself if Goten or his mother overheard them talking about the 'heat in between their legs', and thus decided it was best to leave that topic for another day.

They sat in silence until Chi Chi called everyone into the kitchen, where she'd laden down the tables and counters with a ridiculous amount of food. The Son boys lined up, plates already gripped between their fingers as they simultaneously salivated over the food that Chi Chi had provided.

"Ah—guests first," she admonished, glaring at her children. She stuck out one hand, dragging an uncomfortable Piccolo in front of Gohan, handing him a plate with a small smile. Gohan smiled at the incredulous look upon Piccolo's face, and the fact that Goten behind him was beginning to whine about how starving he was.

Piccolo only grabbed a small amount of food, though, and was soon seated at the table. Gohan watched him with fond eyes as the alien settled himself down. Apparently he stared for too long, however, because Goten shoved past him.

"Stop staring at Mr. Piccolo! I want to eat tonight!" the little boy grumbled, heaping food onto his plate. Gohan felt his face heat up as Piccolo turned to look at him, and he saw his mother shaking her head with a smile spread across her face.

Gohan huffily grabbed some food, and seated himself next to Piccolo. Soon Chi Chi and Goten were seated as well, and the two demi-Saiyans were delving happily into their food, completely demolishing everything they could get a hold of. Both Piccolo and Chi Chi ate with much more constraint, giving each other sympathizing glances over the mess the boys were creating.

Once the food was done—not a single scrap left, courtesy of the Sons—Chi Chi merely piled it all into the sink with a rather morose look on her face. Gohan felt a bit guilty about the amount of dishes that he and his brother had amassed, but Chi Chi simply waved him off, ordering everyone into the kitchen. He complied, he and Piccolo herding Goten in as well.

Goten sprawled out on the floor next to the Christmas tree, already pulling out presents and passing them around. Gohan and Piccolo sat on the couch next to one another, with Gohan being tossed several large packages, which he was quite sure were all books. Goten pushed all of Chi Chi's presents over to her arm chair, where he knew she would be once she finished up in the kitchen.

When Chi Chi appeared, she seated herself, and allowed Goten to go first. The boy immediately started ripping at packages, giving shouts of glee. Inside were a few gaming consoles that had the Capsule Corp. logo slapped on them, and a few games came tumbling out.

Gohan looked to his mother, who shrugged. "Bulma had a sale going on." There was a tried look in her eyes, though, and Gohan grimaced. They both knew that the systems certainly hadn't been on sale, and that Bulma had simply said that so as to protect Chi Chi's honor whenever the woman bought them. He wisely kept his mouth shut, and focused on his brother's happiness.

Next it was Gohan's turn, and he was correct in his assumptions. What he was entirely wrong about, however, was the nature of the books. He'd assumed his mother had gotten him nothing but text books, just like she did most years.

Instead, he was staring at several collector's editions of some of his favorite comics and manga. His eyes were bugged out wide as he peeled back the covers of each, reveling in the glossy feel of them all. He turned his misty gaze to his mother, who gave him a tired smile.

"Don't just thank me," she chuckled, giving a meaningful glance to Piccolo. The alien was staring hard down at his lap when Gohan turned to look at him. "I didn't know the names of any of these books," Chi Chi admitted, "so Piccolo was helping me spy."

"Thank-you mom," Gohan muttered, rising up from his seat to give her a soft hug. She returned it, her cheek pressing against his as she patted his back. He stood up straight once more, heading back to his spot on the couch. He bumped his elbow against Piccolo's. "Thank-you, as well."

Piccolo grunted.

Then Chi Chi began opening her presents, making delighted noises at all of the art projects that Goten had shoddily wrapped up for her. There were three pinch pots, a paper mache mask of a dragon, and a large painting of nothing that was known to man. She over-hyped each one, making it a point to pin up the poster immediately as she kissed the ecstatic Goten on his forehead.

Gohan also complimented him, leading to Goten blushing furiously as he fiddled with a few of his games, fingering the plastic covering. While he distracted himself, Chi Chi opened her present from Gohan, and inside he'd gotten her a blue dress, with a golden dragon design wrapping itself up around the fabric. She thanked him heartily, and he couldn't help but feel as if he'd disappointed her after all the work she'd gone through to get him his present.

Chi Chi seemed perfectly satisfied, though, and folded it back up, setting it on the coffee table. She snapped her fingers, muttered something about 'forgot something', and shot back to her bedroom. Gohan heard a few things being shifted around, before she reappeared, a few books in hand.

She approached Piccolo.

"Now, I know you're not big on presents, so I didn't bother wrapping these or making a big to do about them, but since you've been doing so well in all of you're reading," she let the books fall to Piccolo's lap, "I thought you'd need these."

Piccolo blinked, staring down at them. "I have no place to put them."

"Gohan's apartment," she replied, smiling as she saw the embarrassed alien finally relenting. "Now, I'm going to put in a movie!" Chi Chi went to the DVD case then, digging around through all of her movies. As she did that, Piccolo examined each novel, reading the backs of them, eyes squinting as his nose furrowed.

Gohan took that opportunity to lean in slightly, thigh touching Piccolo's as he allowed his arm to line up fully with the Namekian's. Piccolo gave him a suspicious glare, to which he merely replied with a soft smile, shaking his head. He wouldn't try to do anything in his mom's living room with his little brother there.

Everybody shuffled their presents off to the side, as Chi Chi started the movie—_How the Grinch Stole Christmas_. The family made it a good chunk of the way through the movie, though Piccolo looked extremely bored. At the halfway mark, Goten, half delirious with sleep, turned to look at Piccolo.

"You know, Mr. Piccolo," Goten mumbled, "you're a lot like the Grinch."

Piccolo had looked extremely offended, while Chi Chi hurriedly cut the movie off, and rushed Goten off to bed.

To his credit, Gohan only laughed for a minute. At the most.

Chi Chi returned, looking extremely apologetic to Piccolo as they all said their good byes. Gohan rounded up all of their presents, placing them inside of a capsule he had actually remembered to bring for once. Safe in his pocket, he and Piccolo headed towards the door, flying down to the apartment.

They landed, and Gohan could feel Piccolo's eyes on him as he dug out his keys.

"You headed home for the night?" Gohan asked, not bothering to turn around. He heard a grunt of confirmation. "All right, I'll put your books on the shelf for next time you come over." Another grunt. "Well, Piccolo! Have a good night!" Then Gohan turned to say good bye, just to be met with a very flushed, very _frustrated _Namekian.

Gohan blinked.

"Is something the matter, Piccolo…?"

"No," the alien snapped, arms crossed as he looked at nothing in particular.

"Okay…" Gohan bit his lip, before smiling slightly. "One minute." He unlocked his door, reaching in for the mistletoe that Videl had hung in his apartment. With that in hand, he turned to face Piccolo. Gohan floated a foot or two off the ground, holding his hand up above the duo.

Piccolo glared up at the decoration.

"Do you know what mistletoe is?" Gohan asked, already knowing the answer.

"No."

"Well, it's a Christmas tradition. If you end up underneath it with someone, you have to kiss them." Gohan felt the butterflies in his stomach once more, and he bit softly at his lip. He knew that he had to be blushing just as much as Piccolo.

"Oh."

Gohan leaned in then, placing one hand on Piccolo's shoulders, as he tilted his head. The Namekian stilled beneath his touch, and he used this as his opportunity to lean in, placing another soft kiss upon Piccolo's shoulders.

Piccolo made a noise, arms crossing as his rather purple face glared at Gohan.

"Merry Christmas, Mr. Piccolo," Gohan murmured, lowering his hand, the mistletoe dangling by his thigh.

"Yeah kid," Piccolo huffed. "I guess it was."

**I am so sorry this took so long! The confession bit took me a while, and then I had exams going on-it was rough. There were so many different ways that damn confession went, so I hope this one was okay.**

**Let me know what you think.**


	8. December: The New Year

**December 26****th**

Gohan woke up late in the day, the events of the night prior having taken a larger toll on him then he'd initially expected. When he finally did sit up, however, he stretched, a goofy smile already encompassing his face as he decided that the world was absolutely beautiful today. After his confession to Piccolo, and the kisses he had shared with Piccolo—well, he was feeling particularly good.

He swung himself out of bed, scratching at his bare stomach. Gohan stood, adjusting his boxers and rubbing at the back of his head. His already mussed up spikes became an even larger mess, and he padded out of the room, heading towards the kitchen.

"Nice outfit, kid."

Piccolo's voice caught him by surprise, and Gohan jerked, eyes widening as he turned to look at his friend. The alien was sitting there calmly, one of his new books already open in his lap as he regarded Gohan.

For his part, Gohan was surprised that the Namekian was here so early, and then he felt the flutters in his stomach begin once more at the thought of what had transpired last night. He did manage to give the alien one of his rather large, goofy smiles.

"Well, sorry, I wasn't expecting company." Gohan laughed as Piccolo averted his eyes to his book once more. "I'll go get dressed." With that, he turned, though he did notice that Piccolo was staring with more intensity than normal at the pages of his book.

Gohan simply dragged on some plain jeans, and a ratty old sweater. He meandered once more into the living room, sitting down on the couch beside Piccolo. Initially, he'd been planning on eating, but he figured that the two needed to get the air cleared about what was happening.

Piccolo shut his book with a definitive snap, placing it on the coffee table as he looked to Gohan.

"All right, Piccolo, what—,"

"Kiss me again." Piccolo stated it blandly, and Gohan flushed, fingers intertwining as his nerves got to him. The point-blank expression had caught him off guard, and he licked his lips. The Namekian watched the movement.

"Well… Okay…" Gohan scooted forward on the couch, trying very hard not to actually make eye contact with Piccolo. He was completely and utterly flustered, insecurities abound within his mind. It was not a minimal effort with which he finally leaned in, placing his lips ever-so-softly against Piccolo's cheek.

The Namekian breathed heavily out of his nose, regarding Gohan.

"I was just testing something," Piccolo muttered, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the couch. Gohan gave a meek sort of nod—he didn't really understand, but if Piccolo was going to continue asking for kisses, he supposed he couldn't complain.

"All right…" Gohan stayed facing Piccolo, wanting to observe how he responded to everything. "So do you have any questions… concerns?" He really didn't know how to go about this. He'd only ever dated Videl, and the girl had obviously had pre-existing knowledge of what relationships were and how they worked. He had been the inexperienced one, with Videl patiently supplying him with answers.

"What does this mean?" Piccolo waved a hand, before furrowing his brow. "Us kissing? I know you humans date… Is that what this is?"

Gohan tugged nervously at the neckline of his sweater. "Piccolo—look, if all of this makes you uncomfortable, then we don't have to do any of it…."

The Namekian merely held up a hand, silencing Gohan's ramble. "I'm not saying it made me uncomfortable. At least," here Piccolo paused, musing, "not in the traditional sense."

Gohan smiled. "Yeah, getting kisses from someone can be like that."

"These kisses… They have something to do with the heat that I feel..?"

Gohan flushed, a nervous laugh bubbling up from his lips. "Well… That's a little different," he shifted underneath Piccolo's piercing gaze. "It's not something that we need to discuss…" Here his voice trailed off. There was no way to broach the topic of sex when the two had yet to fully even discover what kissing on the cheek fully entailed.

Piccolo merely nodded, choosing to not fight Gohan on this issue in particular.

"What are you expecting me to do?" Piccolo chose instead, eyes narrowing just the slightest. Gohan couldn't help the soft smile, and loving gaze he gave the alien. Really, it was just like him, to consistently attack everything at the root. There was no nonsense with Piccolo—never had been—and Gohan truly adored it.

"Nothing," he replied amicably enough. "I expressed my feelings to you because I felt as if you returned them. If you don't, then I won't kiss you again," Piccolo looked down at his lap, "and if you do, then I'll gladly stop whenever you want me to."

"Meaning?"

"Say a kiss on the cheek is all you ever want to do, so be it. If you want to move beyond that—then I'm willing." Gohan could feel a fire lit in his stomach, determination pumping through him like he was preparing for battle. There was something titillating about this discussion, and he was certain some of it had to do with the lingering looks that Piccolo kept giving him.

"Nothing else will change, will it?" Piccolo demanded, actually glaring at Gohan. He saw the particularly confused expression that Gohan wore, however, and elaborated. "Our friendship, Gohan. Aside from _kissing_," the word sounded so foreign on his tongue, "nothing has to change?"

"As you wish." And Gohan laughed at the face that Piccolo gave him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm hungry!" He clapped his hands, and rose from his seat, more than ready for a bowl of cereal.

**December 28****th**

Piccolo sat at Chi Chi's table, burly arms crossed as he practically oozed malcontent into the small confines of the Son household. The woman had been particularly unhelpful today, simply proffering up praises for how wonderful it was for her 'darling Gohan' to have someone important in his life, and how proud she was of him for his confession.

Piccolo had made the mistake of actually telling her what had happened, and for the life of him he couldn't explain why. She'd started asking him questions the moment he'd appeared at her door, to which he'd responded before he could really even question her motives.

Now, he had to deal with the mess that he'd created.

"Of course, I was rather skeptical at first," Chi Chi was still rambling onto herself, "what with his crush being you and all." She waved away the pointed glare that he sent her way. "But on Christmas you two were so cute—don't think I didn't see those little shoulder touches, mister." A finger prodded his chest, before she planted two hands on her fist, smile in place despite his discomfort. "Now you just make sure you never hurt my baby, and all will be perfect in the world."

"Your baby is a grown man that has saved this world countless times," Piccolo griped, planting his elbow rather roughly on the table. "I don't think I could really do all that much damage."

"Maybe not physically," Chi Chi sighed. "You're forgetting that Gohan's a sensitive boy, though, Piccolo… From the sounds of things, he's putting a lot of effort into this." He shifted a bit at that. "It's just—if you're not serious about this…"

"Stop meddling, woman," Piccolo snapped, fangs clicking together as he actually rose from his seat. Chi Chi did not back down. Instead, she rose to her full height, which may have been unimpressive in comparison, but still managed to quell some of Piccolo's anger.

"I'm meddling," she spoke, voice eerily calm, "because this is my child. My sensitive child who has spent his whole life trying to please everyone, and especially you, Piccolo." He didn't like the way her eyes seem to pierce right into the depths of his soul. "Now, I'm going to ask this. Are you serious?"

Piccolo could already feel himself growing flustered from that intense stare, and all the implications that rode upon saying yes—and those that came with saying no. His ears flicked, the tips knocking against his skull with their irritability, and he saw Chi Chi growing more and more impatient the longer he kept her waiting.

Finally, he relented, shoulders slumping forward ever-so-slightly. "Yes, I'm serious." He grunted, rubbing self-consciously at his arms, ignoring the soft look that Chi Chi gave him. "I don't know much about dating, but I do know I care for Gohan…" His voice trailed off, and he threw a snarl her way. "You are never to repeat that, understand?"

Chi Chi waved him off, turning away from him and to the fridge. "I wouldn't know what you're talking about," she chuckled, practically feeling the tension leak from the fridge. "Now, Piccolo, dear. What would you like to take Gohan for dinner tonight?"

"Who says I'm even going there?" He demanded, hands turning to indignant fists at his sides.

"Oh, honey… We all know exactly where you're going tonight."

"Dammit woman…."

**December 30****th**

"Piccolo?" Gohan's voice was quiet, as he and Piccolo has simply been sitting, enjoying the peace and quiet. The Namekian had been reading, whilst Gohan had studiously been working away at a new chapter of his text book—it would officially put him ahead of the class by roughly a month, allowing him relaxation time.

"Yes, Gohan?" Piccolo responded, lifting his eyes slowly from the pages that he was so engrossed in, and Gohan felt himself melt underneath that lidded gaze. That was the face the alien always made whenever he was pulled from his reading—almost groggy, in a way. It was adorable, as far as Gohan was concerned.

"I was wondering if you'd… Want to spend New Year's Eve here?" Gohan gulped, drumming his fingers along the hard shell of his textbook. He saw Piccolo furrow his brows together, regarding Gohan with deep set confusion.

"Kid, I practically spend every day here." This was followed by a wry grin on Piccolo's part, the alien looking amused by Gohan.

The boy shifted. "Yeah but… Well, New Year's Eve is an all-night thing…"

Piccolo stilled, eyeing Gohan. "What does it consist of?"

"We'd sit around, until midnight, when the ball drops," Gohan explained, watching as Piccolo began to slowly work his way through whatever the boy was saying. The demi-Saiyan merely sat in suspenseful silence, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he watched Piccolo ponder. He didn't think that the Namekian would say no, per se. The duo's newly budding relationship seemed to be fairing relatively well, with Piccolo visiting literally every day since. And each night he allowed Gohan to kiss him on the cheek.

It had been rather comforting, really, that Piccolo continued to let this small interaction continue to happen. Though, he realized this was a whole different realm of things—with Piccolo actually hanging around into the morning hours. Of course, it had happened before, but always on accident, and prior to their 'relationship' coming into play.

Gohan was worried that it would push Piccolo just a bit too far. The alien was rather sturdy, but the strangest things seemed to kick him over the edge, and he didn't want to step into that sticky territory. He'd love for the Namekian to simply stay as was—comfortable enough with the routine of it all.

But Piccolo consented to stay for New Year's Eve, and Gohan was relieved.

"I'll make sure to tell Dende," Piccolo assured him, as Gohan walked him to the door. The Namekian was leaned against the wood, turning to look at the boy. Knowing full well what Piccolo was waiting for, he willingly slid up, hands leaving warm trails across Piccolo's ribcage, coming to a rest on the broad shoulder blades. Then Gohan rocked up onto his toes, planting a firm kiss upon Piccolo's cheek, watching as the dark violet spread across Piccolo's cheeks.

His lips lingered longer than they usually did, not really kissing anymore but simply brushing against the skin. He felt so comfortable there, that he didn't wish to pull away. Eventually, though, he realized that he was probably upsetting Piccolo, and deemed to take a step back, slowly withdrawing his hands from the Namekian's body.

Piccolo seemed extremely abashed. Despite this, Gohan noticed a glow of satisfaction rolling off of Piccolo in waves, and Gohan smiled.

"Fly safe, Piccolo," Gohan said, waving his hand as the warrior turned his back sharply on him.

"Yeah, yeah," then Piccolo was gone, shooting up into the sky.

**December 31****st**

While Gohan knew the Namekian wasn't particularly big on parties and festivities, he'd still taken it upon himself to decorate just the tiniest bit. He'd borrowed a few streamers and some balloons from Videl—though he'd had to fight her off with a stick as she'd wanted to join in on the festivities. Reasonable enough, Gohan decided to leave anything that made noise or popped with her, not wanting to offend Piccolo's poor hearing.

He'd also procured some punch, which he'd set upon the table, Piccolo's cup located next to it. For himself, he'd simply thrown a few bags of potato chips down, knowing good and well that Piccolo wouldn't be one for snacks.

Gohan had also plugged up his phone, setting the music on a low enough volume. From what he could tell, it was quiet enough to not offend Piccolo, while still loud enough to actually set an atmosphere. There was nothing but slow, calming music oozing from the speakers for the night. Gohan doubted Piccolo wanted to hear heavy rock or pop music.

He smoothed out his clothes, actually proud of himself for this as well. Gohan knew that Piccolo didn't particularly care about fashion—unless it came to Saiyaman, Piccolo was pretty opinionated on that—but Gohan still felt the need to strive and make this night special. He'd chosen a slim fitting sweater, with a white collared shirt poking out at the top. He'd even abandoned his jeans for the night, instead opting for a nice pressed pair of black slacks that he knew his mother loved.

Sucking in a deep breath, he focused on other minimal tasks, until his guest of honor arrived. He placed Piccolo's books back on the shelf, cleaned up a few of his stacks of manga, and even shuffled video games away into a safe place. The only one he left out was Gauntlet, and that was simply in case Piccolo wanted to pass the few hours up until the ball drop.

Really all of this was just to distract him from his nerves. He felt so giddy and ridiculous, like he hadn't already earned the Namekian's approval prior to the event. But, he couldn't stop how he felt, and instead just tried to channel it elsewhere.

Then he heard a key in the lock, and Gohan quickly shot over to the couch, attempting to strike a casual pose as Piccolo entered the apartment.

Gohan was unable to keep up his suave appearance, however, when his jaw dropped at the sight of Piccolo, and he muttered rather incoherently.

The Namekian was standing there, a dark black dress shirt buttoned crisply up his muscular form. A purple tie dangled from around his neck, swaying against the fabric. The shirt tucked into sinfully tight dress slacks that hugged every inch of Piccolo and—

Gohan was feeling particularly hard at the sight.

"The hell's the matter with you, kid?" Piccolo demanded, huffily crossing his arms, which only made the shirt even tighter than before, stretching and outlining all of his muscles. He did pause to take in the fact that Piccolo had given him a few lingering looks as well, but quickly squashed it underneath all the lust he was personally feeling.

"You uh… You look…" Gohan couldn't even find the words to describe how he though the alien looked at the moment, and he could feel his brain practically over heating at the effort.

"I look ridiculous—I know," Piccolo griped, arms tightening against his chest. He looked as if he was lacking his usual stoic confidence. "Your mother made me wear this and…."

"You don't look ridiculous," Gohan quickly interrupted, throat dry, "you look—,"

"What?" Piccolo demanded.

"Fucking hot."

Gohan had blurted the words out without really registering them first in his brain. He immediately slapped his hands to his mouth, eyes comically wide as he felt mortification sink in. Dimly, he registered the fact that Piccolo's face had reached whole new levels of purple, and he looked equally shocked, obviously unsure how to take that. Though, Gohan couldn't tell what was the most shocking. That he'd dropped such a heavy curse word, or what he'd said in general.

From the look on Piccolo's face… Probably both.

"I am so sorry," Gohan whispered. It was muffled due to the fingers still firmly planted against his face, but Piccolo's ears twitched, signifying that he'd heard him. Then the alien shifted, clearing his throat as he did so.

"It's fine," Piccolo grunted, paying particularly close attention to the carpet.

"No, it's not," Gohan moaned, fully burying his face in his hands, wondering how much force it would take to suffocate him out of existence. There was a line clearly drawn, and he had just completely crossed every boundary ever set by the Namekian. It was the total opposite of what he'd wanted to do. He was supposed to be taking this at Piccolo's pace!

He heard a shift of fabric, but didn't bother to look up. Gohan was rather surprised when a warm arm wrapped itself around his shoulders, pulling him close. He wanted to sob over the fact that Piccolo was so comfortable, and he smelled so damn _good_. Had Chi Chi given him cologne? The hell was his mother playing at?

"Gohan," Piccolo rumbled, and it practically shook Gohan through and through, "relax, kid. I'm not going to blast a whole in you for a compliment." A laugh tinged the statement, which allowed Gohan to relax the slightest bit. He finally lowered his hands, tilting his head to peer up into the Namekian's gaze.

"I did meant it, though," Gohan mumbled, trying to ignore how flushed his face had to be, and how it could never compare to the hues that invaded that lovely green face.

Piccolo huffed, looking sharply away. "Yeah well, you look nice too. Just don't expect such a grand statement from me." Gohan laughed then, eyes crinkling as he turned the comforting embrace to a normal hug, relaxing as he finally stepped back from Piccolo.

"I've got drinks for you," Gohan said, completely ready to ignore everything that had happened. Piccolo picked up the moment it happened, and gave a quick nod, turning to the punch bowl that Gohan had set out. He watched as Piccolo swiftly moved over, fingers delicately wrapping around the handle as he deigned to bend over, pouring himself some of the drink.

Gohan bit his lip, discreetly positioning himself behind Piccolo. Not his brightest move, but holy hell was Gohan a slave to that ass.

Whenever Piccolo turned, he caught Gohan looking, and arched an eye ridge. The demi-Saiyan flushed, looking particularly apologetic.

"This got something to do with your feelings, kid?" One clawed finger motioned at a certain bodily region of Gohan's, causing the boy to jerk, hand rubbing nervously at the back of his head. A panicked giggle burbled up to his lips.

"Yeah," he easily admitted, watching as Piccolo gave a slow nod.

"Should I ask?"

"Only if you want to know."

"Right." Piccolo didn't ask, but he did look like he wanted to. There was an internal struggle happening there—too proud to question what was going on, yet still wanting to know the answer. Gohan gave him a slight smile.

"It's just uh… I'm obviously physically attracted to you—,"

"Yes I do believe the 'fucking hot' gave that away?" Piccolo teased. Gohan stuck his tongue out at him.

"Anyways," Gohan continued, "I am physically attracted to you and it just so happens that…" He paused. "Piccolo are you sure I can say this? I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"Trust me, if I were going to be uncomfortable, I think it would have happened way before now," Piccolo replied easily enough.

"Fair point. Well, it's just… I really like your uh," Gohan gulped, tugging at his collar. "Your, uh, your backside." He blushed furiously, hands curling into a fist as he watched the Namekian's solid features. Nothing change aside from the ear flick, and the remaining blush that seemed unable to budge in Gohan's presence.

"Ah."

"See, I told you it would be weird," Gohan whined, wringing his hands together as he felt incredibly stupid. Today was turning into one big fuck all! It was supposed to be a simple, pleasant night, he and Piccolo celebrating the New Year in the comfort of his apartment. Now, he'd gone and practically announced his perpetual boner when he was around Piccolo!

Piccolo merely snorted, shrugging his shoulders. "I've heard your father's friends say worse, believe me." He did tilt his head, regarding Gohan curiously, albeit a little shy. "It is the first time I've heard these things about me, though." He seemed to muse over that, and Gohan let him, unwilling to really pursue this any farther at this time.

Did he want Piccolo? Completely and utterly. But right now? Hell no. There was no way that anything like that would happen even remotely soon. He couldn't see himself being confident enough, nor the Namekian being comfortable enough, to progress their relationship to that state. He did dream, however, of a day far in the future, when he could have Piccolo…

He drew himself out of his thoughts, looking at the clock. 10:00. They still had a reasonable amount of time until the ball dropped. Of course, with other people, they would be watching TV, drinking, or simply horsing around. With Piccolo—none of those options were valid. So instead, they sat, idly chatting as Piccolo sipped away at his punch. Gohan delved into the first bag of chips, clearing away half of its contents in record time.

The only reason he even stopped was because Piccolo had set down his cup, and had turned slowly, pivoting on the couch to look fully upon Gohan. He paused mid-chip, and returned the intense stare that the Namekian was giving him.

"Something up?" Gohan prompted. Off to the side he could see the clock flip over to 11:55. He cleaned chip dust off of his fingers and switched on the TV, noticing that they were already preparing for the ball drop.

Piccolo merely pointed at Gohan's phone, still plugged into the speakers.

"This song—we danced to it before."

The statement was dry, but something on Piccolo's face betrayed what he was thinking. Gohan slowly let a smile overtake his face, as he rose to his feet, extending one hand to Piccolo. He saw the Namekian throw it a dubious glance. The alien finally did deem to place his hand in Gohan's, allowing the demi-Saiyan to draw him close.

Piccolo stumbled in the slightest, though Gohan placed a bracing hand against the alien's hip, his other hand still holding onto Piccolo's. The nervous alien merely dropped his free appendage on Gohan's shoulder, fingers digging in slightly at Gohan began their horrible dancing. Knees bumped, and chests rubbed as they did a clumsy circle around the coffee table, not even really to the beat.

As the music dwindled, Gohan looked over to the TV, having heard them announcing the ball drop. He saw Piccolo's eyes focusing on the screen as well, the curious glow illuminating every plane of Piccolo's face to the point where Gohan couldn't look away—ball be damned.

10

He was moving closer.

9

His hands left Piccolo's body, instead they lifted slowly into the air.

8

He momentarily steeled his nerves, before placing his hands on Piccolo's face.

7

Light pressure told Piccolo to move his head just the slightest, angling him down to where he could see that Gohan had grown considerably closer.

6

There was understanding that lit in Piccolo's eyes at what was about to happen, and Gohan was so thankful that this wasn't going to be a surprise.

5

He was closing the distance, nose bumping clumsily against Piccolo's as his breath washed over the alien's open lips.

4

Piccolo didn't shut his eyes and so Gohan didn't, maintaining eye contact as the centimeters became nothing, and Gohan was kissing Piccolo

3

He could hear people chanting in the back ground and he had a small moment of hubris, where he imagined all the people were cheering for this moment—this particular moment—where Piccolo was allowing his lips to be caressed by Gohan's.

2

It was nothing and yet everything.

1

This was their first full kiss, and it wasn't anything special. There was simply the light press of lips, and the stasis that came with that. Neither moved their lips once they touched, yet neither pulled away. Gohan could feel pure bliss deep in his stomach, regardless of whether or not it was heated passion that was coursing through his veins, or simply a warm glowing content that he'd gotten here.

The look in Piccolo's eyes reflected his own, the corners crinkling just the slightest, something warm glowing in their depths that made Gohan think—_God, I did something right for once_.

Gradually, he pulled his lips back from Piccolo's blindly reaching to the coffee table to switch off the TV. It was a mild scramble, as he couldn't seem to look away from Piccolo's burning gaze. The Namekian seemed just as enraptured, however, which set Gohan mildly at ease.

With the noise of the TV completely gone, there was only the next song filtering out into the room, though this one did not seem to hold the magic as its predecessor. Gohan couldn't have cared less in that moment, though, and merely stepped back up to Piccolo.

Vaguely, he wondered if he'd blinked at all since the kiss.

He also noticed that Piccolo was looking from his eyes, down to Gohan's lips. A purple tongue slid out, whetting green lips, slow and sensuous and Gohan wondered if Piccolo even knew how tempting he could be.

Piccolo finally straightened, breaking their burning gazes as he quickly shifted to the side. Gohan took a similar stance, wondering just how this new development would play out. The Namekian had looked rather pleased in the moment but…

"That was… That was nice," Piccolo grunted, arms crossing once more as he attempted to look belligerent, and not at all satisfied. Gohan smirked, because Piccolo couldn't hide his flushed face and breathy voice, no matter how desperately he wanted to.

"Yeah, Piccolo. I'd say it was…"

**The end of semesters is always so stressful, so I'm sorry that the updating schedule is not quite as quick as it was! (and that this chapter is kinda short but)**

**Anyways, thank-you for all the kind words, and I love hearing from all of you! So, please let me know what you think about this little (baby) chapter!**


	9. SY, January and February

**January 20****th**

Gohan had been back to school, and could honestly say that the downhill roll towards the end of the semester was going rather nicely. He was ahead on all of his assignments, finished his papers early, and was also finding himself more and more at peace with the fact that every day when he returned home, Piccolo was seated on the couch.

The young boy would come swooping in, full of stories for his and Videl's shenanigans, just to swoop in and place a rather happy kiss on Piccolo's cheek. Allowing this small interaction, Piccolo would then make polite conversation, the two would have dinner, and thus things progressed as normal.

If Gohan were to say he had one regret, it was the fact that he and Piccolo had not shared a full on kiss since the New Year—but he wasn't upset about it. While he would love to kiss the alien into oblivion, he understood the Namekian's own disposition towards such acts, and that when he'd confessed his feelings, that this would be an uphill battle.

Regardless, he was more than happy to simply have the alien's presence, and Gohan couldn't have been more pleased.

**February 2****nd**

Piccolo sat idly at Chi Chi's, actually in the living room for once as the woman had sent Goten over to the Briefs' household. There would be no reason for her to cook a large amount today, as the boy would actually be able to fill himself with Bulma's plethora of food spilling from her cupboards.

Chi Chi was taking the time to watch some movie or other—Piccolo honestly couldn't bring himself to become interested in it, so he hadn't paid attention when she'd told him the title. The woman seemed to be enjoying it well enough, her knees tucked up beneath her as she fully relaxed in her arm chair.

"Not often that you get to do this, is it?" Piccolo grunted, his own fingers drumming a pattern on the arm of the couch. She merely shrugged.

"I'm at peace with it. Honestly, if I didn't have Goten, I don't know what I'd do." Chi Chi sighed, staring down at her lap. "Up here—well, without him there'd be no one. I know papa's getting older too," there was something glistening in her eyes that made Piccolo shift just the tiniest bit, "and Gohan's so busy with school and other things." A wry grin was shot in Piccolo's direction.

He huffed, crossing his arms as he glared at the wall. Of course, Chi Chi hadn't been accusatory with her statement, simply playful.

Chi Chi sighed then, stretching as she flicked the TV off. "Actually, I'm rather glad he's got some romance in his life. My handsome baby is far too wonderful to not have anyone!" He rolled his eyes at her antics. The woman had way too much love in her body for someone so small.

"Speaking of, Valentine's Day is coming up. Are you two doing anything?" Chi Chi smiled, looking particularly to ecstatic.

Piccolo crinkled his nose up, confusion evident upon his features. "I don't know what that is. Some human holiday?"

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I forgot you wouldn't know." He snarled at her tone, to which she waved an impatient hand. "Don't get your gi in a bunch. But, yes, it's a human holiday, celebrating the people that you love. Generally with chocolate—though sometimes it's with presents or kind gestures."

Piccolo looked distinctly uncomfortable, flexing his muscles as he stood from the couch. Chi Chi watched him rise, eyes following him as he stalked over towards the door.

"I don't need to do stupid, mushy things like that." He spat, swinging the door back on its hinges, ignoring the loud thud as it hit the wall. With a flourish of his cape he quickly took his leave, completely dismissing Chi Chi's curses following his ascension.

**February 3****rd**

Piccolo didn't mention Valentine's Day, and neither did Gohan. The Namekian sat in the apartment, squinting at his companion, wondering if the boy would actually wish to participate in this holiday. He obviously knew that Piccolo had little to no knowledge of human traditions such as this. Yet, Gohan made no mention of any such events.

And, as far as he was concerned, he also couldn't imagine what 'presents' the boy would give him.

Piccolo ruminated over this, eyes focusing on Gohan's profile. He really did feel deep rooted affection for the boy. What he felt, he supposed, was indeed love, if it was anything that Gohan described, or the novels. Whenever he looked at Gohan he felt a curious warmth in his chest, and whenever the boy drew close or intimate, he felt that coil of heat in places yet discovered. There was also the general affinity that Piccolo felt towards the physical attributions. He didn't know he felt quite as crass as the boy about it, but…

He could certainly admit that Gohan had admirable qualities. There was the strong jawline, thick hair, and musculature that Piccolo could admire on the boy. If someone were to particular bother him about it, Piccolo could certainly say that Gohan was the most aesthetically pleasing human he had yet to encounter.

Vaguely, Piccolo wondered if all of his thoughts translated to Gohan being 'fucking hot', in youthful terms. Not that it really mattered—Piccolo placed far more value in the boy's sharp wit, humility, and overall company. He supposed the physical bit was just a plus.

"Piccolo?" Gohan was looking at him, eyebrows drawn up, with those wondrous eyes staring at him. The boy's lips drew up into a nervous sort of smile, and Gohan lifted one hesitant hand to the chunk of hair resting on his forehead, brushing it to the side.

"What?" he grumbled in response, quickly averting his gaze.

"Just making sure you were okay. You were kind of staring." Gohan laughed then, but it was nervous. He looked rather self-conscious in that moment, and Piccolo supposed it was because of his lingering gaze.

"I was thinking," Piccolo replied, shrugging his shoulders, "and I suppose you distracted me."

Gohan actually blushed, though the grin on his face was beaming.

"Oh really?" The boy leaned in, then, a playful smirk spreading across his face, dark brows wiggling comically. Piccolo actually snorted, rather close to laughter on his part. Gohan seemed to take this as encouragement. "My devilishly good looks distracting you, huh?"

"Your eyebrows are going to wiggle off your face," Piccolo grunted, planting the palm of his hand on Gohan's face, shoving the boy back. Gohan laughed, hitting the arm of the couch.

**February 5****th**

Videl asked Gohan about Valentine's plans, to which he confirmed that he had none, and was quite certain that Piccolo wouldn't appreciate any efforts on his part. She expressed concerns, while Gohan did his best to appease her.

He finally relented, admitting that he'd kicked around the idea of actually taking Piccolo on a date—seeing as they hadn't really had an official one as of yet. Which was true. Gohan had thought of places he could take Piccolo that the Namekian actually wouldn't object to.

"Why not a night under the stars?" Videl prompted, shrugging her shoulders. Gohan blinked several times, looking to her. "Seriously—go to the waterfall or something that. Pack a nice little picnic, a book for him, and both of you just chill. It's romantic enough for you, and low-key enough for him."

He was openly staring at her now, his jaw hanging.

"I can't believe you just suggested something so good."

"Fuck off!"

**February 9****th**

Gohan flopped down on the couch, causing Piccolo to bounce slightly from the motion. The Namekian grunted his frustration, clutching at his book so he could continue reading. As persistent as he was, though, Gohan continued to edge closer, tapping at the alien's arm.

"What, kid?" Piccolo finally relented, actually lowering the novel so he could turn the full brunt of his glare upon him. Gohan easily shrugged it off, though, instead returning it with a sappy smile.

"I was wanting to talk to you about… About Valentine's Day." Gohan stuttered just a bit, and watched nervously as Piccolo went rigid. The Namekian turned slowly, eyes watching the boy carefully. Gohan took this time to continue. "I don't want to do anything big but… Perhaps we could have a picnic out by the waterfall… spend the night out there… like old times?" his voice was squeaking at this point, and he could feel his stomach roiling.

Piccolo relaxed, soothing Gohan's nerves.

"Your mother told be about that holiday," Piccolo said, "but that sounds much better than the things she mentioned." Gohan smiled at that, wondering just what his mother had detailed out. He did reflect fondly upon Goku's memory, as his confusion always ran high with things like anniversaries and Valentine's. The man had no notion for how such things were to be handled.

Gohan smiled at the similarities.

"All right, Piccolo," Gohan smiled, rising up from the couch. "Though, you should thank Videl. It was her idea."

Piccolo rolled his eyes. "I should have known."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gohan whined.

"It means you have the subtlety of a t-rex."

**February 12****th**

Chi Chi heartily agreed with Gohan's plans, and volunteered herself to prepare the food. She was planning to make every kind of sandwich known to man, all packed away safely inside of a capsule, several spare blankets, and even a few books she felt that Piccolo could enjoy. He'd thanked her profusely, promising to come by the day of and pick up her supplies.

While Gohan could easily survive out in the Wastelands without his mother's food or help in general, he wanted this to be a full day of relaxation and—he held his breath—romance. Which he was quite certain it would be, barring Piccolo feigning disinterest.

**February 14****th**

Piccolo arrived at Chi Chi's house early in the morning, Gohan already standing on the front line, with a capsule in hand. He waved hello to Piccolo, who grunted in response. Gohan couldn't resist smiling, as he saw that Piccolo had opted to wear human clothing.

"Happy Valentine's," Gohan greeted. He stuffed the capsule into his pocket, before turning to Chi Chi, who had just appeared at the door step. In her hands was a camera, and she quickly hailed the boys over. They both approached, albeit Piccolo a little slower.

"I just want a picture of you two!" Chi Chi smiled. Gohan flushed a bit, but his mother quickly shushed him, shooting forward. "Now, Piccolo, get a little closer!" she ordered, shoving the Namekian into Gohan. Piccolo stumbled, and Gohan wrapped an arm around his waist, steadying his larger friend.

Piccolo grunted.

Chi Chi took the opportunity to lean back, snapping a quick picture. Piccolo looked rather frustrated, while Gohan was simply beaming his largest smile, all teeth visible as he rejoiced in this particular moment.

After the picture was taken, Chi Chi released them, ignoring all of Piccolo's grumbled complaints. The two took to the sky, heading towards the waterfall that Piccolo had once resided at. Simply the trip there was enough to fill Gohan with memories, the wind racing through his hair as he relived all of his trips there prior.

He also didn't miss the simple irony at the fact that once upon a time, Chi Chi would have stopped this venture, proclaiming Piccolo distasteful company, and urge him instead to finish his work. Yet now, here she was, snapping pictures of the duo as they left for their first date.

Beside him, Piccolo flew in silence, so Gohan had no clue for if he was thinking of the same things. Or if the Namekian was even aware of the parallels that now ran.

Gohan was at peace with it.

* * *

Night had fallen upon the two, and Gohan took it as the perfect opportunity to actually lay out the blankets. Each flap brought up dust, causing Piccolo to splutter at indignation. Gohan laughed, smoothing out each wrinkle as he went to work.

Once the blankets were placed, Piccolo sat down beside Gohan, the latter of which reclined back on his elbows, staring into the night sky. The Namekian beside him remained up straight, legs crisscrossing, his thigh casually touching Gohan's. It pleased him, and Gohan slowly ate sandwiches, relishing in all of them.

"I'm so glad you invited me out to stuff your face," Piccolo teased, casting Gohan a look from the corner of his eyes.

Gohan rolled his eyes. "You didn't even want to come, right?"

A grunt. Gohan smirked in victory.

He did, however, set aside his food in favor of leaning forward. His arms circled around Piccolo's torso, jerking the Namekian back before he could make another noise of protest. Gohan chuckled as the alien flailed in a rather pathetic way, before resigning himself.

They lay there, then, Gohan's arm trapped underneath Piccolo's frame. The boy took this opportunity to snuggle closer, resting his head against Piccolo's ribcage, eyes still on the stars above them. His companion released a deep breath.

"Is there a reason you wanted me down here?" Piccolo asked, voice still relatively calm, if not a little grumpy.

"Well, this is a date, Piccolo," Gohan chuckled, pushing upwards. His palm bit into the blanket, and he pulled his torso to where he hovered over Piccolo. Elbow locked into place, he let his face grow closer to the Namekian's.

"I didn't know they consisted of dragging me into the dirt," Piccolo griped, though Gohan did note that the Namekian was blushing, and he was staring avidly up at him. So, he retained his position, looking down into that green face, perfectly lit under the starlight.

Gohan smiled. "You're on a blanket, you'll be fine." He shifted a bit closer, the side of his hip pressing against Piccolo's.

They sat there in silence, eyes wandering over one another's face, and Gohan was again struck with how badly he wished to know what was happening inside Piccolo's mind. It would make things simpler, to know when exactly to pull the right moves, when he was allowed to do certain things, and if Piccolo was actually ready to progress any farther.

And he wanted to know when he'd be able to kiss Piccolo again—if ever.

"Kid, you look like you're lost in thought." Piccolo's voice was curiously soft, and Gohan watched his lips and throat move with the effort.

"Just thinking—but, y'know, your appearance distracted me," Gohan smiled, a soft one, and he watched Piccolo's nose crinkle up just a bit.

"Sometimes I wonder where you get all that sass." Piccolo grunted.

"Perhaps my mother?"

"Well it certainly wasn't your father."

"Hey, hey," Gohan tutted, wagging one finger at his companion. "Mocking the dead is bad luck."

"When have I ever had good luck?" Piccolo demanded, rolling his eyes.

"I'd hope while you're on this wonderful date!" Gohan replied, laughing at Piccolo's disgruntled face.

Silence lapsed once more, and Gohan felt his arm tensing up from prolonged stasis at this awkward angle. He couldn't bring himself to move, though, to busy watching all the minute movements that prevailed upon the Namekian's face.

"So," Gohan said, disrupting the silence, "I take it this Valentine's present was acceptable, at least?"

Piccolo grunted. "Yeah, considering I didn't get you anything, kid, I guess I can't complain."

Gohan shrugged, shoulder awkwardly butting into the side of his face. "I didn't expect anything," the boy admitted, smiling once more at Piccolo. "I know you're not a gift giver."

The Namekian shifted, moving a little closer. His elbows pressed into the blanket, pushing himself nearer to Gohan.

"I suppose… I do have something I could give you…" Piccolo's voice was barely above a whisper, lips barely moving as his blush burned a bright purple against his cheeks. Gohan blinked in surprise, noticing the proximity.

"Oh?" Gohan whispered back.

"But you need to shut up," Piccolo snapped, catching Gohan off guard. "And close your eyes while you're at it."

Gohan laughed then, obliging his temperamental friend. He lowered his lids, startled when he felt hands on his face. Warmth radiated from them, and Gohan could hear Piccolo's breath, heavy and hot against his face…

He furrowed his brow, before he was struck with the sudden realization that a nose was bumping against his, and lips were covering his own. Gohan made a muffled noise of surprise, causing Piccolo to immediately retract.

When he opened his eyes, a wounded Piccolo was glaring at him.

"Piccolo—,"

"Shut the hell up!"

"No seriously let me—,"

"I don't want to talk about it!"

"I was just caught off guard!" Gohan finally shouted, over powering Piccolo's voice with his own. The Namekian sat there, saying nothing. Sighing, the demi-Saiyan scooted forward, slowly lifting his hands to cup Piccolo's face.

There was a flash of mutiny, but nothing else.

"I was shocked, but happy," he continued on, forcing patience into his voice. "It was the best Valentine's present you could have gotten me, Piccolo, really." The Namekian grunted, eyes shifting away as Gohan held him there. "Piccolo…?"

"What?" His voice was still defensive, obviously still flustered.

"May I kiss you again?"

Piccolo looked as if he were going to say no, before he sighed, relaxing completely in Gohan's grasp.

"Fine."

Gohan smiled, leaning in, he pressed his lips to Piccolo's. And for once the Namekian was reciprocating, which was the most wondrous thing in the world to him. Their lips moved clumsily together, dragging against one another in what would certainly be horrific to anyone else—yet Gohan was certain he'd never been more infatuated with a kiss in his life.

His hands slid lower, rolling over Piccolo's shoulder, and cradling the back of the Namekian's head. Piccolo kept his hands at his sides, but Gohan couldn't care less. This moment was all that mattered, and the fact that Piccolo was kissing him back.

"Mm, Piccolo," he groaned, caught up in the moment as he drew closer. Gohan was suddenly stopped, however, as Piccolo placed hands on his chest, drawing the boy to a halt. Whenever a sheepish Gohan drew back, he saw that Piccolo had one arched eyebrow, his face still flushed.

"Getting excited there, kid?"

"Well, y'know," Gohan mumbled, biting his lip and trying to ignore the heat in his face, and the presence of his erection. Piccolo cast it one small glance, before he shook his head, and went back to reclining upon the blanket, eyes cast up to the stars.

"Let's stick to laying down for now, huh?"

"Yeah, yeah," Gohan grumbled, reclining once more as he positioned himself against Piccolo's ribs again, hips carefully angled away. Despite his embarrassment, he couldn't help but feel like it was worth it. Gohan began to fall asleep, eyelids drooping as he slipped under. Just as he was drifting off, he swore he heard a whispered,

"Happy Valentine's, kid…"

**Hoo-boy! I wanted to thank you all, time and time again for all the nice things you say! They literally give me energy to write! **

**I am sorry that I'm bad about answering reviews - mostly because my phone hates the email app. But! I do want you to know that I read all of them!**

**So, thank-you, and please let me know what you think about this chapter!**


	10. SY, February, Post Valentine

**February 15****th**

Piccolo had spent the remainder of the night curled up on the ground with Gohan, not quite ready to admit that he was actually enjoying the time they spent together. It had been rather nice, really, to lay there, Gohan's head pressing against his ribs as the pair took joy in the night skies.

Gohan insisted upon telling Piccolo the many different constellations, all the while keeping a running track of their appearances in different sci-fi movies, and how each came to be named. Piccolo couldn't say he fully understood the boy's unnecessary passion in everything—yet Piccolo also found himself smiling softly down at that exuberant face, always turned to him with such joy.

Despite his intolerance for touching, Piccolo knew that all such boundaries with Gohan were gone. There was no way he could deny those small finger brushes the boy kept sliding against his arm, nor could he deny the fact that a few times Piccolo's own fingers had found their way—quite of their own volition—into Gohan's hair, just to trail slowly down to his cheek.

Each time was more fantastic, with Gohan's eyes softening, until finally the boy was lulled into sleep. The Namekian then reclined back, one arm tightening the boy against him, unwilling to allow him to slump completely against the ground.

Not for the first time, Piccolo wondered what had become of him.

He was no closer to an answer, though, when finally the sun began to rise, as did his companion. Gohan rose with a yawn, a stretch, and then Piccolo was confronted with the boy's face in his own.

"Mornin', Piccolo," Gohan murmured, eyes still blurry as a goofy smile slowly sprawled across his features. Piccolo wrinkled his nose at the boy. "Can I have a kiss…?"

"Perhaps once you've brushed your teeth," he retorted, waving a hand in front of his nose as he gave a fake glare to Gohan. In turn, the boy pouted, rubbing at his eyes rather vigorously. When his fists finally lowered, the skin was puffy and red, but Gohan looked significantly more awake.

"So mean, Mr. Piccolo!" Gohan chided, though he was looking particularly shy. "Sorry I asked you, anyways, I was still kind of sleepy—,"

"It's fine." Piccolo quickly interrupted, sensing the boy's slippery trail down self-deprecation. "I… well," his voice became gruff, seemingly angry, and he knew anyone else would have withdrawn from him at this point. Yet Gohan was simply sitting there, watching Piccolo for something else.

And at that point, he quickly averted his gaze, snarling. His bared fangs pressed comfortingly together. He made one sharp motion towards Gohan, but yielded no more. Instead he waited for Gohan to piece together what he meant, and soon the boy did.

The look of comprehension broke like dawn across Gohan's face, and then the boy was shuffling forward on knees, hands pressing softly to green cheeks. Piccolo felt that familiar warmth blossom throughout his core, before lips were pressed against his own.

Piccolo had been right—that Gohan's breath was rather atrocious, but luckily he had only to smell it before they met. Then there was the fact that the boy was grungy from sleeping outside, and his lips were horrendously chapped, bringing the Namekian to wonder if he was any better, having slept outside as well…

However, Piccolo couldn't say he minded.

Gohan was somehow able to turn a rather disgusting kiss into something that Piccolo didn't hate, and could almost say with certainty that he enjoyed. Warm hands slid to Piccolo's shoulders, fingers flexing against the fabric there, but stayed as they were. The Namekian found himself rather pleased with that, knowing that Gohan wished to do more, and was holding himself in check for Piccolo's comfort.

Piccolo finally withdrew, rising to his feet, Gohan following suit. The demi-Saiyan scooped up the picnic basket, and all other messes. He was soon ready to go, pausing to give Piccolo a warming hug, before taking to the skies.

Dark eyes watched Gohan's retreat, marking the boy's journey, before finally heading towards the Lookout. With the floating island in sight, Piccolo alighted upon the marble floors, feeling rather pleased with his day insofar. Despite the fact that he had initially argued against Valentine's… it had gone rather well.

He was rather surprised to see that Dende greeted him, the smaller Namekian standing there, fiddling with his staff. There was a distinct aura of discomfort pervading the air that immediately made Piccolo's skin crawl. His muscles bunched, eyes narrowing at the Guardian.

"What?" Piccolo demanded, as Dende was still sitting there. When Piccolo's voice cut through the air, the Guardian stumbled slightly, staff coming in front of his body as if he could protect himself with it.

"W-Well… I just… was wondering…" Dende was blustered, lips quivering with the force of whatever he was attempting to say. "Was—was that a date?" he finally blurted out, when Piccolo's patience was shown to be wearing on end.

Piccolo jerked back, just the tiniest bit, and then cursed himself for showing such weakness. Not that it mattered much, he supposed, in front of Dende—yet it still struck a wrong chord with him. The soft underbelly of his conscience was not for anyone to probe, aside from Gohan. Unfortunately that was a completely separate case with a whole outlier of cases for why it was this way.

He put aside his own insecurities to further the conversation.

"You were watching…?" Piccolo said this slowly, attempting to keep accusations out of his voice. Inside he could actually feel a distinct sense of embarrassment—there was no telling what of him and Gohan's relationship Dende had observed. Not that he could really blame Dende, the child was the Guardian, after all. However, it didn't mean Piccolo liked the feeling of Dende watching the more… intimate moments.

Dende blushed. "Well… I can see everything for the most part…" he dug his toe into the line of one of the tiles, staff twirling in his fingers. "I just… I was curious," the Namekian admitted, and all the while Piccolo said nothing. "I'm sorry—,"

"It's fine," Piccolo snapped, though he was certain it sounded anything but. It wasn't as if he could do anything to Dende, after all. He wouldn't hurt the boy, and there was no reason to attack the already miserable Guardian. Curiosity was a sin, not a death sentence.

Dende visibly relaxed at this, his shoulders slumped forward, relieving himself of this. His eyes did watch Piccolo, though, with some sort of intensity that Piccolo couldn't define. He arched one eyebrow towards the Guardian.

"I just—you don't know Namekian anatomy, do you?" Dende mumbled, scratching absently at where his antennae sat. Piccolo had the right to look offended, he felt like, so the sneering lip and contracted brow were a perfectly reasoned reaction to Dende's question.

The Guardian seemed to understand, face flushing as he fiddled with his robes.

"I… Have some books…" Dende's voice trailed off. "Perhaps you and Gohan should read them—?"

"Enough," Piccolo interrupted, eyes scrunching up as he tried to block out everything that the Guardian was saying.

"Of course," Dende muttered. "I'll… be on my way, now." The Guardian left, and Piccolo attempted to distract himself from what was said. He visited Chi Chi, but refused to talk of the date, utterly infuriating the woman—("Was he a gentleman?", "What did you two do?", "It was overnight, how can I trust you?", "Dammit Piccolo tell me something!")—until he finally took his leave.

Entering the room that was designated as his, Piccolo strode to the table, eyes alighting upon a stack of parchment that had not been there previously. His eyes dance across the Namekian symbols written crudely on what was supposed to be a cover. All the stacks were roughly bound together by tattered string, and Piccolo sighed.

He ignored the pile, and instead focused on meditating.

**February 18****th**

Normalcy reigned once more, with Gohan and Piccolo meeting up. Gohan was rather enjoying himself. Their 'dates' (he felt as if he could call them that now) were splendid. He'd taken Piccolo out to a bookstore, where the two had each found a few books to add to their collection. The Namekian had a tendency to read classics, whereas Gohan preferred non-fiction and Sci-Fi.

Another night Piccolo had shown up, a little later in the night, with Chi Chi's cooking. Feeling rather cocky, Gohan had attempted to light candles to set the mood. Unfortunately he'd made the mistake of staring at Piccolo, caught his sleeve on fire, and brought the romantic mood burning down.

Literally.

Tonight, however, was simply going to be Gohan sitting around in sweatpants and a t-shirt, tapping away at one of his video games. Behind him, Piccolo was reading—Gohan couldn't remember the name of the novel—and everything was comfortable.

Gohan paused his game, standing up to go get drink. He grabbed a bottle of soda, then paused, leaning around the corner. "Did you want a water, Piccolo?"

"Yes, please."

Gohan hummed in ascension, then turned back to the fridge, snatched up a water bottle, and heading towards the living room once more. He paused, watching Piccolo, antennae quivering, mouth moving silently to the words. His neck was craned ever-so-slightly, and without thinking, Gohan moved in, placing a soft kiss against the green skin.

Piccolo jolted, and Gohan flushed, waving his hands in front of his face.

"I-I'm so sorry Piccolo!" He quickly bowed his head, shoving the water bottle out in front of him as a method of consolation. There had to have been a line he just crossed! He'd only recently gotten Piccolo okay with exchanging kisses as they did, and here he was, jeopardizing all of that….

The water was taken from his hands, though when Gohan looked up, Piccolo was setting it off to the side. He'd also closed his novel, the book settling on the arm of the couch as black eyes slowly met Gohan's. There was something there, but Gohan couldn't stop the queasy feeling in his stomach. He saw that Piccolo wanted him to draw closer, though, and shifted onto the couch, a cushion seat away from the Namekian.

"What was that you just did?" Piccolo demanded, face still a mask.

Gohan fumbled, fingers intertwining. "A mistake—I'm so sorry if I made you uncomfortable Piccolo! I won't do it again I'm serious!" He attempted to convey every emotion he felt in that small gaze he sent to Piccolo, hoping that the Namekian could forgive him.

"I'm not upset," Piccolo rumbled, staring down at him. "I want to know what it was."

"A-A neck kiss," Gohan mumbled, shifting. Piccolo made a noise, before leaning in. The demi-Saiyan watched the alien approaching him, before Piccolo's nose was brushing against sensitive skin, and lips pressed against his neck.

He made a sharp noise of surprise, as Piccolo withdrew. There was a contemplative look upon the Namekian's features, as if he was attempting to figure out whether or not the situation was pleasant enough to pursue it.

For his part, Gohan was entirely numb and could think of nothing to do or say, other than stare blankly at his former mentor. He truly couldn't think of anything better at this moment, and he was certain that tonight could not get any better.

"It's fine if you wish to do that, then," Piccolo finally said, watching Gohan with tactician's eyes. "You just caught me off guard—a worthy feat in and of itself," the alien smirked, that playful fire alighting his expression.

Gohan felt a thrill rush through him at those words, accompanied with such a wondrous gaze. He truly was the luckiest man in the world.

**February 20****th**

Despite Piccolo's permission to further the intimacy, Gohan had let the air settle between them for the next two days. He didn't want to rush right into everything, he wanted the Namekian to acclimate slowly to the inner-workings of a relationship. While Gohan was more than willing to explore every inch of Piccolo, he was also keeping himself in check—it wasn't fair to subject Piccolo to so much so fast.

A perfect opportunity to express his new territory presented itself soon, though, and Gohan was quite pleased with that.

Piccolo was in the kitchen, rinsing off a few plates that the two had eaten from. Gohan had quickly slid behind the Namekian, arms wrapping around the larger one's waist, his hands splaying safely against a muscled stomach.

A soft noise was what he received, and Piccolo actually deemed to turn slowly away from the sink, rotating in Gohan's grip. The Namekian pressed his backside against the counter, while Gohan's hands clasped onto the marble edge, parallel to Piccolo's hips.

"What is i—," Piccolo was interrupted as Gohan rocked up onto his toes, his chest brushing the Namekian's as he kissed his partner. Once the kiss was initiated, though, Piccolo lowered himself just a bit more, making it much easier for Gohan to access his lips.

The kiss was simple enough, the usual for the two by now. Then he decided to press his luck, and he shifted his head, planting a soft kiss at the corner of Piccolo's mouth.

A noise, but no complaints, so Gohan continued. One of his hands left the countertop so as to slide up Piccolo's side, all the while Gohan continued to pepper kisses down, trailing a line to the Namekian's jawbone. Piccolo's jaw clenched, yet he did not push away, leading Gohan to his true destination.

That wonderful expanse of green skin that was Piccolo's neck.

His hand continued making idle patterns on his mentor's ribcage, while he left searing kisses upon the Namekian. He could feel the thrumming heartbeat, practically taste the pulse as each kiss sent Piccolo's rate sky-rocketing. Against his chest, he could feel the alien's contracting and expanding at a faster rate than normal, and could feel the slight gasps ruffling his hair.

Gohan was blissful in this moment, enraptured with the passion of actually having his beloved here, in his kitchen, currently allowing him to rain kisses on a previously unexplored area.

Vaguely, he reflected on the fact that Piccolo was far more sensitive around the neck than Videl had been. He couldn't tell if it was a Namekian thing, or just a personal preference on either behalf of the partners. Not that it mattered much, when Gohan was quite pleased regardless, hearing Piccolo's stifled breaths.

Gohan was truly immersed in the moment, even daring to slide his hand down to Piccolo's thigh, just as he deemed to allow a small flicker of tongue to trace the prominent vein. He allowed his tongue to trail it for just a moment, when he received a rather forceful shove.

He stumbled back, more startled than hurt.

Stabilizing himself, he cast a worried glance to Piccolo.

His mentor was in a state that Gohan had never seen before. The Namekian's antennae were quivering at an alarming rate, his face completely flushed, and mouth wide open to reveal the rather sharp canines. A small dribble of saliva was dangling from his lips, and his pupils were mere pinpricks of incomprehension.

"Piccolo… Are you okay?" Guilt came crashing down like a wave as he watched his partner.

Piccolo gave a rather large gulp, and Gohan saw his knees press sharply together, confusion evident upon the Namekian's face. Truly, the demi-Saiyan didn't know what he could do or say to make this situation better, he just knew that he wanted to thoroughly punch himself in the face.

"Picc—,"

"I'm leaving," Piccolo bit out. Gohan jerked back at the harshness that Piccolo had managed to convey. He bit his lips, averting his gaze from Piccolo's face. Perhaps Gohan had went too far, but for Piccolo to completely lash out like this…

Attempting to avoid Piccolo's eyes, he'd looked down, and noticed a rather peculiar stain at the Namekian's… crotch… area….

Gohan's felt shock pierce him, and while residues of guilt were still there, it also came with comprehension. He gave a short cough, and purposefully ignored the way that Piccolo's eyes narrowed dangerously, as if daring Gohan to mention what it was evident that he'd seen.

Piccolo beamed his regular gi onto his frame, eradicating the evidence, and stormed for the door. Gohan trailed behind him, hands nervously stuffed in his pants pockets. He was almost certain this would be something that could never again be mentioned—or brought up. Tomorrow, he was sure Piccolo would reappear at the apartment, and pretend that this whole fiasco had was just a bad dream.

Gohan would allow it, especially considering the circumstances. His curiosity was piqued about the Namekian reproductive system, but all of that could wait with how uncomfortable Piccolo obviously was with the subject. Or, perhaps just naïve?

When Piccolo left, Gohan sentenced himself to his bedroom, where he thought rather long and hard about the events of the night.

Piccolo bypassed Dende, rushing back to his assigned room. There he slowed his pace, eyes and nose scrunched with the thought of what he was about to do. Slowly, he drew closer to the table, where the mounds of parchment were still sitting there, and he could practically hear them mocking him. His ancestors all getting a kick out of him struggling with hormones and a young boy _licking _his neck…

His skin was still hot and crawling in a way that made Piccolo feel the need to shed into a whole new being.

The neck kisses had seemed innocent enough at first—there had been a small thrill at the prospect, but today had launched it into all new territory that Piccolo could not step into without knowledge of how to proceed. While at sheer power levels he had been surpassed by the Saiyans, he was certainly better at calculating his battles and thus how to approach the enemy or foreign situations.

Thus Gohan's foray into intimacy had set his teeth on edge. In the moment, he'd been completely intoxicated with the smell of the boy, and the feeling of them pressed against one another. And, Piccolo was ashamed to admit, he'd quite enjoyed the trail of kisses that had inevitably led to his downfall.

For when Gohan had started licking, and his hand began to wander, that's when Piccolo had felt what had been a slight warmth spiral into a strange heat that craved to be rutted out against something. He'd lost control of his facilities and had indeed succumbed to pure pleasure, as opposed to logic of the situation. He blamed the hormones he'd never fully explored in his youth for such abandonment.

That had also been when the wetness began. He knew Gohan had seen it, too—and that was the worst bit. Piccolo may not have known much about genitalia, and humans' secrecy regarding them, but he could certainly feel the embarrassment of _whatever that had been_ soaking through his jeans. To the point of visibility, no less.

He had been so engulfed, though, that it had taken everything in him to finally push Gohan away. Distantly, he hoped that the boy would forgive him for his rather crass manner when handling his situation, but Piccolo had been unable to form anything else to mind as to what was happening. If he'd had his way, he would have immediately left, or at least changed clothes.

The Universe apparently got a kick out of watching Piccolo struggle like a bumbling human teenager, however, with Gohan seeing that—substance.

Which led Piccolo to where he was now, hands angrily snatching up the bound books, eyes boring into the Namekian characters, rather infuriated with his own weakness that he'd actually fallen to the point where he had to do this.

Dejected, he flipped open to the first page.

**February 21****st**

Gohan's prediction was spot on, and for the day he refrained from touching Piccolo at all. The Namekian looked thoroughly exhausted, and thus he left the alien to read upon the couch, as he focused on a few homework assignments. He knew better than to ask unless Piccolo broached the topic, and thus last night was a silent taboo.

They exchanged a few words, though Piccolo was noticeably distant—once Gohan prodded all Piccolo grumbled about was something along the lines of 'research', but as to what he would clam up—and so Gohan felt that what did take place was rather stilted. There was almost a bitter taste to the air, as if Gohan had completely regressed back to their initial meetings.

When Piccolo finally rose to leave for the evening, Gohan of course walked him to the door. There, the two stood awkwardly on the front stoop, face to face, carefully not watching one another.

"Piccolo I'm really sorry I just—,"

Piccolo cut him off with an abrupt shrug, a strange look on the alien's face.

"I'm not upset… Not at you, anyhow. I would like it if we did not discuss it at this moment."

Piccolo's voice was clipped and short, wounding Gohan just the slightest bit. He knew, of course, that the Namekian could be rather secretive, but to be completely shut out like this rather hurt.

"Right, of course." Gohan's voice betrayed his discontent, and he scuffed his foot against the sidewalk. Okay so perhaps his prediction had been off, just a bit. Things weren't going back to normal—no they were going downhill in a spiral and he couldn't seem to fix them.

Piccolo merely gritted his teeth, though, and Gohan could make no guess as to what the Namekian could possibly be thinking. There was no telling if he was upset at Gohan, about the situation, or perhaps a mixture of the two.

Feeling rather miffed at the whole situation, Gohan rubbed nervously at the back of his head.

"I guess good night, then." He said it, tone lack luster, before grasping at the door knob. Mostly he wanted to sleep at this point. Behind him, though, he heard a grunting noise, turning to see Piccolo back in his gi, expression confused, hurt, and angry.

Gohan cocked an eyebrow at his partner, watching Piccolo turn away sharply. The demi-Saiyan blinked a few times.

"Something else the matter?" Gohan asked, not really sure what the hell he could have done this time. He'd kept his hands to himself—hadn't he? Either way, it was late, and Gohan felt the need to lie down in bed for at least 48 hours, and Piccolo was taking the longest he'd ever had to just leave the front stoop. Gohan didn't understand.

"The hell's that supposed to mean?" Piccolo snapped in response, always quick to offend in matters of the heart.

Gohan sighed, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. "You look upset," the boy explained, not even bothering to hide his fatigue with the situation. Of course, the Namekian was completely unwilling to cooperate, his face flushing slightly as he turned away from Gohan.

"It's nothing."

"Ok, then I'm going to bed."

"_Fine_."

Then Gohan saw the way that Piccolo betrayed himself, the swift glances down, the small fidgets of his fingers, and the way he sucked a bit at his lip. All were almost completely invisible to the average person, yet Gohan could see the signs immediately.

Rolling his eyes, Gohan crossed his arms.

"Did you want a kiss good night, Piccolo?"

The Namekian jerked, weighted pads shifting comically with the alien's surprised face.

"Thought so," Gohan smiled, and despite the fact that he was tired, and a little upset himself, he took a few steps forwards, making himself look as reassuring as possible. "Look, Piccolo, I'm more than willing to back off on certain aspects if they made you uncomfortable."

Piccolo sat there, listening with a straight face.

"I promised when we started this that it would go at your pace. I meant it." Another step forward, and Gohan was there. He slowly lifted one hand, and pressed it softly against Piccolo's cheek, thumb rolling softly across the skin, making sure the motion was simple and slow.

He didn't need any bit of this to be misconstrued. It worked, as Piccolo visibly relaxed, head ducking forward just the slightest bit. Gohan took this opportunity to rock up onto his toes, pressing his lips to the Namekain's for a rather chaste kiss.

Short and brief, Gohan lowered himself back down, his other hand rising to cup gently at Piccolo's other cheek. His thumbs were not idle, though, languid shapes marking their path there.

"I love you, Piccolo," Gohan murmured, watching the Namekian's face shift, "regardless of what we do."

Piccolo nodded slowly, and Gohan decided to retract his hands. The alien took this opportunity to dip in, stealing one more kiss. Startled, yet not unhappy, Gohan felt his smile broaden by a considerable bit. His partner looked thoroughly flustered.

"I love you too, kid," Piccolo finally grunted, arms crossing over his chest as if hoping to appear more imposing. "And… Thanks." The word was grunted out, and Gohan heard gratitude and an apology all wrapped into one.

He nodded in understanding, and waved at Piccolo as the alien took to the skies.

**I am so sorry for the delay! Had a lot of stuff going on - we went to Florida, my mom's sugar glider died in a rather horrific way, and I got hooked on Hunter x Hunter (simultaneously breaking my heart over Komugi and Meruem, all the while laughing my ass of at Hisoka)**

**So I really want to apologize for how long this took - and if it's a bit weird, I'm feeling rather rusty. On that note; if for some reason you'd like to contact me, you would probably be better off through my Tumblr then on this website (as it's easier to answer stuff, and I'll probably see it sooner), and there's a link on my profile.**

**Phew - anyways, thanks for all of your support, and how wonderful you've all been! Please review. c:**


	11. SY, March

**Here's a light-hearted filler chapter!**

**March 1****st**

"Kill me Gohan," Videl pleaded, clutching at his arm as she dramatically flung herself across the couch. "I mean it—don't half-ass it. Go Super Saiyan and just _kapow_!"

"You heard her, Gohan," Piccolo smirked from his position in the armchair, book spread across his lap as he watched the two friends. "_Kapow._"

Gohan gave his partner a disparaging look, whilst simultaneously disentangling himself from Videl's defeated form. The girl was giving him a vicious pout, obviously unamused by him denying her death wish.

"You're just being dramatic!" Gohan retorted. "Maybe if you studied more than you trained, you would be fine."

"Don't listen to him," Piccolo grunted, feigning offense. "Training is more important—he's just slacking off and giving you ill advice."

Videl sighed, rolling her shoulders. "I know right? He's a lazy bum, so he tries to drag you and me down with him!"

"Hello—right here!" Gohan whined, waving his hands before Videl's unamused features. "I'm not lazy, anyhow. I'm studying, y'know, for my future? Hopefully one that doesn't have aliens raining from the sky, demanding to control Earth, trying to kill me and my family."

"Offense taken—I was one of those aliens."

"Gosh, Gohan, you're so inconsiderate!" Videl chastised, flicking his nose. It was at precisely at this moment that Gohan decided that he gave up entirely when it came to these two being in the same room as one another. They were horrendous when their powers combined, and he honestly could find no way to combat their excellent teamwork at dragging him through the wringer.

"Whatever, you two are so keen on training, why not do it together?" Gohan griped, for he knew no amount of persuading on his part would prod Videl into actually lowering the time she got as it was. She loved fighting, and her crime fighting—hell, her major was criminal justice. Though, why she bothered escaped him. He was sure the city would gladly pay her well enough with all the work she'd done for them already.

His words brought a curious light to Videl's face, however, and she actually looked to be considering Gohan's proposition. She narrowed her gaze, sizing up the Namekian across from her—though he had once again disappeared back into his novel, and didn't notice the human's lingering gaze.

"Yeah all right, I could see this happening." Videl nodded, and Gohan's jaw dropped. He'd been joking when the suggestion had left his mouth, hoping to get a good laugh out of Videl. What he hadn't expected was to see that light in her eyes that resembled fire.

Gohan was also struck with the realization that the two bonding could only mean pure hell for him.

"Piccolo!" Videl called, said Namekian giving his ears a short twitch in response. His gaze lifted unwillingly from the book, eyeballing the girl sitting across from him. "Gohan made the best suggestion—how about you train me?"

For the first time in a long time, Gohan saw a chilling smirk stain his partner's face, twisting it into a green mask that made even Videl retract just the tiniest bit. She held her ground, though, seemingly set upon having Piccolo be her mentor.

"You sure about this decision?" Piccolo snarled, smirk still there. It reminded Gohan of the stories his mother had told, of Piccolo's younger days as Ma Junior—about his arrogance, and horrifying aura that preceded him. While Gohan was able to reconcile that the Piccolo he currently knew had almost nothing to do with Ma Junior's persona anymore, he could see small remnants in that look.

"I'm sure," Videl gritted out, forcing herself to be confident. Gohan was rather impressed with her backbone, really, and was once again reminded of why he'd fallen for her years ago. In her own right, the girl was a tremendous force, and something to be reckoned with. His admiration for her ran deep.

"Fine." He relaxed once more, eyes slowly trailing back down to his book. "You can find me here, or at Kami's Lookout, and I'll train you. Just keep in mind—it'll be hell."

"I can handle it, sir," Videl asserted, looking quite pleased with herself.

"You're going to regret this, Videl," Gohan chuckled. "Piccolo may have grown softer over the years—but I'm sure he's still going to make this as awful as he can."

Videl rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Hey, bud, I asked for it, I can take it!"

"Listen to the girl, Gohan," Piccolo rumbled, fixating a glare upon the boy. "And if you ever say I'm soft again, I'll kick your ass."

Despite the threat, Gohan felt a little thrill run down his back, and he met his partner's gaze. He hadn't had as much physical contact with Piccolo since the whole neck incident, but that didn't decrease the libido that he'd been treated to that day. To see Piccolo in such a manner had fueled all kinds of day dreams and fantasies that he'd been exploring. Some of which certainly featured a wondrous ending to a training session…

"Oh my _Gods_, Gohan, control your dick!" Videl cried, slapping Gohan sharply on the thigh. The demi-Saiyan jumped, yelping from surprise and fighting to hide the flush that was creeping up his neck. He could see Piccolo shift awkwardly, and yet again he was struck with the urge to die.

"Videl," he groaned, turning to face his friend, obviously still embarrassed.

"I'm sorry—just the sexual tension that happened there made me uncomfortable!" she joked, elbowing him. "Plus I recognized that look. That's the 'point five seconds until I jump you' expression."

Mortification, hard and heavy, slammed into Gohan's very soul. He cast a quick glance to Piccolo, who looked rather similar. All of his hard work—at keeping things soft and romantic for the past two weeks—had just come crumbling down by Videl's assertion.

"Not okay," he griped. Videl waved him off.

"I know, I know, I'm so sorry." Despite this, Videl looked anything but, and Gohan knew there would be no way to make her see sense in this situation. Instead, he focused the conversation on other things, drawing Videl's focus anywhere but the relationship. He even managed to get her to agree to study at least one extra night a week, consistently warning her about the ever approaching finals.

Around eight, Videl took her leave. Gohan walked her out, saying their good-byes. When he reentered the apartment, he saw Piccolo watching him attentively, book put up for the time being. Taking notice of the look in his partner's eyes, Gohan seated himself upon the couch once more.

"Does it bother you?" Piccolo finally grunted, looking unsure of himself, and clinging desperately to that mask which he always wore. He took note of Gohan's confused expression, and elaborated. "Not having—whatever."

"Sex?" Gohan blurted out.

Piccolo glared.

"Sorry," the boy coughed, laughing nervously as he shifted in his seat. "Honestly? No. Piccolo, if I was really that desperate for sex, would I pick you as a partner?" He laughed then, but saw the offended expression that cross over the Namekian's face. "I don't mean that in a negative way, I'm just proving a point."

"Aren't you accustomed to receiving that from your partners?" Piccolo finally grumbled, crossing his arms in a petulant manner.

Gohan blinked. Then he laughed. "No! Seriously—I've only ever been with Videl. She's the only person I've ever done… That with…" There he flushed, staring down at his lap, unsure of where to go from here. While he didn't view Piccolo as being the jealous-type…. Could there be complications between the two…?

"I see," was all Piccolo said. Then he began once more. "If I were, for some reason, unable or unwilling to progress this relationship past where we are now—would this be reason enough for you to terminate it?" There his eyes narrowed, obviously watching Gohan, desperately searching for some sign.

Gohan did pause, though, humming thoughtfully as he tapped at his chin. "I'd be fine—not moving past here. Or, I can say that I'm fine for now." The boy sighed, rubbing at the back of his head. "I'm not some sex-crazed maniac, Piccolo, but I can't say that there won't come a point when I won't want to do more. The only thing I can promise you is that I won't do anything you don't want me to."

Piccolo nodded. "Fair point. I know you humans are biologically driven."

"There are humans that don't have sex, Piccolo," he replied.

"Yes, but you are not one of them."

"Unfortunately, no," Gohan laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "Sometimes I wonder if it'd be easier though." The Namekian nodded, then slowly rose from his position, coming to seat himself beside Gohan. There, he awkwardly moved closer, yet made no inclination to move from that point.

Taking his cue, Gohan moved in, aligning himself with Piccolo's side, while his other arm wrapped around the Namekian's waist. He smiled up at his mentor, who huffed in response. Gohan was certainly pleased, however, when Piccolo actually deemed to lay his arm along Gohan's shoulders, fingers twitching restlessly against the opposite arm.

"Then why the hell are you with me?" Piccolo demanded, glaring down with everything he had. Distantly, Gohan wondered if this was Piccolo having insecurities about the relationship itself, or his own body and personality.

"I'm with you for lots of reasons," Gohan replied, amicably enough. He wanted to keep his voice light and appealing. "I think you're incredibly smart, a wonderful friend, and a powerful fighter. I've never been closer to anyone in my whole life. There's never been anyone who I could turn to like I do with you, Piccolo."

Piccolo snorted, shrugging his shoulders, though he looked mildly content. "I feel the same about you," was the grunted reply, and Gohan felt his heart soar. He leaned up then, placing a soft kiss upon the Namekian's cheek, watching with rapture the purple tint that took over.

"I love it when you blush," Gohan whispered, without even thinking. He was rewarded, however, with the purple darkening just the slightest bit, and Piccolo giving him a rather aggravated glance.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about," Piccolo snapped, retracting his arm so he could cross them across his chest, attempting to appear surly. Gohan merely leaned forward, grasping Piccolo's chin with his fingers, and forcing the Namekian to look him in the eyes.

"Yes, you do," Gohan smiled, kissing the tip of Piccolo's nose. "That, right there—a blush!"

"Shut the hell up!" Piccolo griped. "You blush plenty, too!"

"Because I'm a love-sick human—what does that make you?" Gohan teased, shoving his tongue out at Piccolo.

"You're acting like Videl," Piccolo grumbled, averting his gaze.

"Except Videl doesn't do this." Gohan kissed Piccolo Square on the mouth, lips melding together. His hands cupped Piccolo's chin, and he could feel the Namekian loosen his stance, as the green hands soon found Gohan's waist.

"I'd certainly hope not," Piccolo mumbled against Gohan's lips, and the boy rejoiced in that deep, soothing rumble that caressed his ears.

"Me too," Gohan chuckled, ending the kiss, just to brush his nose against Piccolo's. He was breathing a little heavier than normal, but so was his mentor, ending any worries he might have. Softly, Gohan rested his forehead against Piccolo's, content with the warm atmosphere the two had created.

**March 4****th**

Videl decided that today she would being her training with Piccolo.

She'd initially flown to Gohan's apartment, supposing that the alien would be there. Gohan had told her that he'd either be at the Lookout or Chi Chi's, which led Videl to fly up to Kami's place. It still felt unreal to slowly arrive at the place where God lived—but she'd slowly become accustomed to it over the years.

Dende greeted her, telling her that Piccolo was merely in his rooms. She headed back through the hallways, finally entering the room that Dende had assigned her to. One hand met the handle of the door, and she twisted it, inviting herself into the room.

She paused, however, at the sight of Piccolo with a few papers in hand, with his trousers down around his ankles.

Videl made a rather undignified noise, hands clapping up to her face as an internal mantra of curse words ran through her mind. Piccolo dropped his papers, and hurriedly drew his pants up, throwing a few choice words for Videl out loud.

The girl immediately began spluttering out apologies, before Piccolo, looking rather purple in the face, silenced her.

"What the _hell_ are you doing in here?" he finally demanded, though the storm that blew across his face truly drew Videl into a terrified stupor.

"I-you-uh-you said I could train with you and to um… to come to the Lookout," she was mumbling, and she'd never heard herself sound so nervous. It was embarrassing and humiliating, yet there was nothing to rectify the situation.

Piccolo breathed heavily through his nose, before stepping back, slumping down into a chair. He covered his face with his hands, looking thoroughly warn out. Slowly, Videl edged her way further into the room, eyes roaming across the papers—though she couldn't read any of them.

"So… Um…" Videl still sounded so unlike herself, and she mentally berated herself for it.

"You want to know what I was doing, don't you?" Piccolo snapped, voice slightly muffled by his palm still pressing sharply against his mouth. His fingers separated slightly, one of his eyes latching onto her, allowing her to feel the sharpness of his gaze cutting her.

She gave a minute nod, unable to lie.

A heavy sigh shook the Namekian's frame, and he lowered his hands. He still looked incredibly uncomfortable, his mouth opening just the slightest bit, only to close again. There were a few more instances of this happening, before he finally spoke.

"Dende—Dende gave me a few books," a vague gesture to the pile of papers, "because Gohan and I," a grit of his teeth, "were growing more and more intimate." His jaw muscles tensed, and he glared down at his lap. "I ignored them, and then one night I…" his voice trailed off, just to pick up once more, "it's not important. My body did something that I didn't understand. So now I'm attempting to figure things out."

Videl nodded, slowly. Then bit her lip, as she recalled Piccolo's position when she'd first entered.

"So are you trying to—to masturbate, using those books?" her question was a serious one, an open one, and she watched as Piccolo struggled to answer. His fingers drummed a heavy pattern against the arm of the chair as he presumably came up with an answer.

"I suppose. I merely want to understand what it is that is going on," he finally admitted, though he looked as if he'd grind his fangs away in the process. "Unfortunately, I have been unable to make myself do whatever it is I did that night…"

"What was it that your body did?" Videl asked once more, slipping back into her comfort zone as the malicious Piccolo was distracted by their talk.

He huffed, flushing. "Do I seriously have to say this, girl?" His voice was sharp, but Videl saw it for what it was—a bluff.

"You do." She nodded. "So—what? Did you get an erection or something?"

"Or something."

"Oh."

"I believe it would be called—discharge?" he cast a reflective glance to his books.

"Oh."

"Indeed. Though," another glance, and he flipped through a few pages, nodding as he reached a certain passage. Videl looked as well, and while she could not read what it said, she recognized the diagram, that showed a Namekian's genitalia. "I can also have an 'erection', or whatever, if properly stimulated. It rises from the organ that secretes liquid."

Videl felt her mind reeling, but attempted to focus on the matter at hand. While she wasn't so much on about alien reproductive systems, this had something to do with Gohan and Piccolo personally, which was of great interest to her. Gohan was probably her best friend, and Piccolo was certainly considered a companion as well at this point. She felt it was her duty to assist him.

"Okay, well, you're not going to get horny looking at these old text books," Videl said, not even wanting to think about how fucked up this conversation was. She was literally giving her ex's new boyfriend masturbation tips.

Piccolo looked thoroughly uncomfortable as well, though Videl was pretty sure it was for different reasons. If nothing else, the Namekian was a prideful being, and was probably not entirely thrilled at the prospect of a late sex ed class from a human girl.

"I'm serious—not to pry, but has this only happened once or…?"

"The actual activation of my glands has only happened once," Piccolo responded, shifting in his seat.

"Okay—wait the activation of what?" Videl demanded, popping one hip out as she settled into the niche of their conversation.

"The activation of my glands," he griped, another wave towards the papers. "Gohan was…Do I really have to say this?" Piccolo demanded, hands forming into fists as he snarled up at Videl. She blinked at him, unimpressed, before nodding. He slumped in a defeated manner. "Damn you humans… Gohan was… He licked my neck."

Videl blinked. "That's it?"

"It's very stimulating for a Namekian, all right?" Piccolo snarled. "It has something to do with our ability to produce eggs there—it is essentially a sexual organ."

Videl let out a low whistle. "So basically, every time you show off your neck, you're kind of like… a flasher?"

His gaze was dull and dead when it met hers.

She held up her hands in defense, waving them theatrically. "My bad, my bad! Just an odd thought. Anyways, so Gohan licked your neck and you juiced all over the place—I don't get the big deal. He activated you, so why not go ahead and let him ride the machine."

"We will stop discussing this immediately if you do not stop being disgusting."

"I'm not the one that creamed myself."

"_Videl_."

"_Fine._ I get your reservations about it, kind of. But if you're going to explore yourself, then you can't be quite so factual about it, Piccolo! I mean—sure it's good for you to know what's going on down there, especially since you're an alien. But you're not going to get off reading dusty old manuscripts."

Piccolo sneered, just the tiniest bit. "Then how the hell do I?"

"Oh my Gods are you asking me for masturbation tips right now?" Videl giggled, watching as Piccolo's jaw dropped slightly, officially taking in what he'd said. "I'm not judging, by the way, just soaking it in!"

"Well—," the Namekian grunted, shifting his stance just a bit, "the organ that has presented itself already is rather similar to a human female's. The male organ seems simple enough—especially considering how Saiyans talk." He was trying very hard not to look Videl directly in the eye. "Either way, women do not tend to speak of these things out loud. So I can't get it to activate, and even if I did I'd be unsure of what to do with it."

Videl nodded sympathetically. "Of course, of course. Well, first things first, you've got to activate it. Then just—well, touch it?" she realized how unhelpful she was, but she wasn't sure how to convey proper technique to the alien. He said it was similar, not a carbon copy, so there was no telling what would happen if he stuck a finger somewhere he shouldn't and—

_Okay Videl no._

"You know, I'm sure if you asked Gohan he'd be more than willing to help you with thi—,"

"No," Piccolo snarled, nails biting his palms so hard Videl could have sworn she saw blood. "He is not to know about this. It is demeaning enough with you witnessing it."

She sighed. "Gohan wouldn't look down on you. Trust me. That boy would do anything in his power to see you happy and satisfied."

"It's too soon for any of that," Piccolo grumbled.

"You've known each other for over a decade—almost two!" Videl argued, running a hand through her hair. "Whatever—we're not arguing over this. I'm just letting the option be known. At some point you might want to tell him, though, or at least give him those documents."

Piccolo merely grunted.

"Back to activation, why don't you just imagine Gohan doing stuff to you?" Videl offered, viewing it as the only sensible option here.

"Doing what? Sexual things?" Piccolo furrowed his brow, looking thoroughly confused. "I know of sex—but nothing other than scientific facts and disgusting stories from the other fighters."

Videl groaned, burrowing her face in her hands. "This is going to be a long day…."

**March 8****th**

"Piccolo!" Gohan greeted, throwing his arms around his partner's neck, just to plant a happy kiss upon the Namekian's lips. The alien hadn't been by the past few days, though Videl had stopped by to assure him that everything was okay, and the two were simply training. At first, he'd questioned it, because he'd been unable to sense a spark in ki—but he decided to leave the two as they were.

"Gohan," was the simple greeting, yet it was so nice to hear those words spoken to him. They stepped inside together, and Gohan immediately began asking questions about Videl's training. At this, Piccolo shifted uncomfortably, and shrugged his shoulders. He gave vague responses to all of Gohan's questions, simply saying that she was doing fine, and that was it.

_Odd_, Gohan thought, furrowing his brow. He'd expected a long list, labeled 'How Videl Fucked Up', taking up at least ten minutes of everything that she'd done wrong, and how inadequate she was, along with a heavy dose of how it was Gohan's and school's fault that she'd fallen so far behind.

He brushed it off, though, instead pulling Piccolo into the apartment. Gohan noticed that the Namekian was once more in his human clothes, and smiled softly at the sight. The two were soon seated on the couch, Piccolo actually partaking in conversation, not burying his nose in a book the first chance possible.

Once the sun had gone down, Piccolo glanced up at the ceiling, his eyebrows drawing together. Gohan followed his partner's gaze, and finally realized what had attracted the Namekian's attention. He gave a soft chuckle, and answered Piccolo's unspoken question.

"Goten and Trunks visited the other day," he said, "and they stuck those all over the ceiling—apparently they did it at both Capsule Corp and my mother's house." Everywhere were tiny plastic glow in the dark planets and stars. Gohan left out the part where he'd helped the boys, rather liking how the items looked, and rather unopposed to them doing such silly things.

"I see," Piccolo muttered, squinting.

"Here, it's dark enough!" Gohan said, pulling Piccolo up from the couch. He scooted the coffee table quickly out of the way, and instructed the Namekian to lay down in the floor. Despite the looks that Piccolo gave him, he eventually complied, and Gohan flicked the TV off, before making his way over to the light switch. He flipped the switch, then made his way back to Piccolo, lying down next to his partner.

Piccolo made a small noise at the back of his throat, actually looking as if he was enjoying the sight of the plastic pieces. Gohan turned his head, smiling softly at Piccolo's profile, appreciating the gloom and how gorgeous Piccolo could look in any lighting.

"You're staring," Piccolo said suddenly, meeting Gohan's gaze.

He chuckled. "Well, I like how you look, don't I?" Gohan replied, shifting his shoulders so that he was even closer to Piccolo, grasping the Namekian's hand in his own. Their palms pressed against one another, and Gohan rubbed his thumb against the back of Piccolo's hand, relishing the soft skin.

"Gods knows why," Piccolo retorted, smiling playfully down at Gohan.

"Oh I know why," Gohan retorted, rolling onto his side so he could look at Piccolo without craning his neck. He felt his temple bite into the carpet, and his shoulders set him at an awkward angle, though he couldn't care less.

"Really?" Piccolo responded, eye lids drooping slightly as he mirrored Gohan's position. Their hands were still joint, and Gohan smiled down at them, before once more meeting Piccolo's gaze.

"Of course." Gohan licked his lips. "You're kind of perfect." There his confidence faltered, and Gohan gave a nervous laugh, blushing only slightly. When it came to feelings, he certainly had a bit more confidence. Anything physical, though, and Gohan rather lost his nerve, especially in the face of Piccolo, where every step had to be calculated and weighed.

Piccolo blinked at Gohan's comment, shifting his shoulders slightly. "I could say the same for you, kid," was the grunted reply. "You're the least ugly human I've ever seen."

Gohan laughed, head knocking a little roughly against the floor. "I'm touched, Piccolo!"

"As you damn well should be—that's one of the nicest things I've ever said to one of you." Piccolo was smirking, and Gohan couldn't help but lean in, kissing those wondrous lips. The Namekian reciprocated well enough, and Gohan was struck with how quiet the room was. He could only hear the smack of their lips and the small noises the two let through.

Piccolo drew back the smallest bit, eyes scanning over Gohan's face for just a moment.

"You humans… You generally kiss with your tongues, do you not?"

The question caught Gohan off guard, and he squeezed Piccolo's hand out of surprise. He blinked a few times, studying Piccolo's face in the darkness, wondering what the hell had brought this on. Finally, he collected himself enough to answer.

"Ye-eee-es," Gohan replied, long and drawn out, and sounding terribly unsure of himself.

"Would you like it if we were to do that?"

Gohan felt as if his brain had just been fried. He sat there, numb, staring at Piccolo's face. The Namekian was calm, simply waiting for Gohan to respond.

"Uh—yeah," Gohan finally spluttered, shifting so that he could better prepare himself, despite the fact that was certain that nothing could mentally gear him enough for what was about to happen. Sure, the neck thing seemed a bit more intimate then a simple kiss, but the fact was that Piccolo was openly initiating something of this kind.

Piccolo sat there, obviously waiting for Gohan to take the lead. Which would make perfect sense if Gohan could just calm himself down enough to partake in this act.

Sucking in a deep breath, he slowly moved forward, drawing Piccolo into another kiss. He started soft, lips brushing against the Namekian's. Then he slowly slid his tongue out, allowing it to trace along Piccolo's. Gohan was quite certain he made a small noise then and there, as he was so taken with how perfect this moment was.

Attempting to use as much patience as humanly possible, Gohan prodded Piccolo's lips, the Namekian taking the hint to slowly part them. Then Gohan slid his tongue in, bumping against the first sharp canine, and resisting the urge to moan at that simple thought. He felt as if the world couldn't get any better, as he slowly slotted his mouth with Piccolo's, tasting him for the first time.

And then he realized that wonders never ceased as Piccolo's tongue met his, sliding together. He could feel the shape, recognizing the pointed tip that was foreign enough. Gohan moaned, fingers twitching fervently against Piccolo's hand as he resisted every urge he had to further explore whatever Piccolo had.

Deciding that it was best not to tempt fate too much this night, Gohan slowly withdrew. He swiped a hand across his chin, realizing that the kiss had been perhaps a bit messy. Beside him, Piccolo was doing the same, and he couldn't help but laugh.

"What?" Piccolo demanded.

"Nothing," Gohan reassured, swooping in to place a soft kiss against Piccolo's forehead. A reflective hum greeted his ears before the two were collapsing back against the carpet, eyes once more focusing on the plastic solar system. Gohan could assume that Piccolo was trying to calm himself once more, just as he was doing, for the demi-Saiyan could easily hear the soft pants arising from his companion.

They sat in silence for a while, until Gohan could no longer deny the sleep that had been lulling him further down. He finally closed his eyes.

**March 9th**

Gohan woke up, groaning as he arched his back slightly. Sleeping on the floor probably hadn't been his brightest idea. He shifted, yet felt a warmth on his hand. Blearily, he glanced down, and saw Piccolo's hand still entrapped by his own.

The events of last night slowly filtered back into his working mind.

"Good morning," Piccolo's voice was deep, and jolted Gohan to the core. The demi-Saiyan glanced back, actually surprised by the fact that Piccolo had spent the night here, holding tight to Gohan underneath their artificial sky.

"Good morning," was all Gohan could say in response, before Piccolo gave him a chaste kiss on the lips, rising to his feet. There was a small light, and then Piccolo was in his gi once more, heading towards the door.

"I'll be back later in the evening."

"Yeah," Gohan replied, not really even knowing why he'd said it. Piccolo didn't seem to mind, though, and took his leave, cape theatrically swirling around him as he shut the door. Scrubbing at his face, Gohan slowly rose from the floor, and stumbled to his phone.

He felt like Videl needed to know this new progression in his relationship.

* * *

Piccolo sat in Chi Chi's kitchen as she prepared food for Goten and Trunks, who were flying about in the backyard, making quite a nuisance of themselves as far as Piccolo was concerned. The woman seemed perfectly content with their noise, however, and Piccolo felt an increasing amount of disgust as he heard her soft sighs and longing looks out of the window towards the children.

He supposed he could ask her what those looks were for, but he was really to entrenched in his own problems to attempt to make logic of whatever went on in Chi Chi's interesting brain. Instead he focused upon the fact that under Videl's tutelage he'd successfully made—well, no progress physically, but he supposed mentally there was new fortification there.

Last night he'd initiated something new, and he'd seen the appreciation that Gohan had held in that moment. Of course, he'd rather die than admit that he'd gotten the idea from Videl, or rather, the things she'd had him watch.

The girl had sat him down in a room alone at her mansion, a laptop in front of him. She'd hit play then quickly left, telling him to simply watch and use his imagination. It had started out simple enough—the couple had been kissing, much like Piccolo had proffered to Gohan. He'd found that part reasonable enough after all.

Then things had slowly spiraled out of control when the couple began doing other things. Piccolo had blasted the laptop with a larger amount of ki than was necessary, and had refused to apologize when an enraged Videl had found out.

He'd simply reiterated that it was her own fault for turning on such trash. As far as tempers and stubbornness went, Piccolo supposed he and Videl were quite even, so while she hadn't 'given up', she'd simply decided that the battle would not reach a swift end.

The only peace she got was that Piccolo actually trained her for just a bit, if only to let the girl get some steam out considering he had just ruined a rather expensive possession of hers. Plus, he supposed he owed Videl something, as she had been trying like hell to teach Piccolo the more intimate side of himself.

Of course, she could only give vague descriptions, and while she was not a shy girl, Videl still could not feasibly explain to him what to do—and kept clinging to the vestiges of her original argument. 'You're an alien!' she'd said 'Who knows what's going on down there?'

As it was Piccolo had reached a standstill. While Videl struggled to find a way to thoroughly explain to him what was going on and what to do, Piccolo still found himself unable to grasp such simple tasks. He was particularly miffed when he thought about the fact that human teenagers were able to achieve such tasks without so much thought going into it.

Sighing, he tapped his claws against the kitchen table, and glared mutinously at the tiled floor.

Chi Chi finally cast him a sympathetic glance, and paused in her cooking. "Everything okay?"

"Fine," Piccolo grunted.

The woman took no offense, merely rolling her eyes at his surliness. "I'm sure."

"As am I."

"Whatever, grumpy gi," Chi Chi said, shrugging her shoulders. "If all you're going to do is sit there and pout at my kitchen table, I'm going to put you to work! How about you come over here and help?"

"I've had enough new experiences for a while, thanks," Piccolo snapped, not understanding these human women and their need to drag him into their infernal activities. Masturbation, cooking—hell, he supposed Bulma Briefs would appear soon, demanding he go shopping with her!

"New experiences, huh?" Chi Chi smirked, expression coy as she watched the pouting Namekian. He gave her a rather pointed glare in return.

"It doesn't directly involve your son at this time, so butt out," he demanded. She merely arched a brow in response, cocking her head to the side.

"What, learning a bit about yourself first?"

"We are not discussing this, Chi Chi."

"Fine—but that's for pleasure. Now you need to learn something of value." Piccolo really hated all of the women in his life, and thoroughly blamed Gohan for even knowing the two of them. "Now come over here."

Her voice carried that dreadful tone that made Piccolo's stomach turn over. He didn't understand how the hell Chi Chi could boss around the strongest warriors in the damn _galaxy _like she had any strength that could compare to their own. Even little Goten could kill his mother with one wrong move, yet she held no fear, and instead lorded over them all.

Despite his mutinous thoughts, though, he was soon hunched over, looking rather out of place next to the small woman.

"Now, crack those eggs into the pan."

"Fine."

"Piccolo—no! You can't do that!"

* * *

Goten and Trunks peered in the window, faces identical masks of glee. They were watching as Chi Chi screamed mercilessly at Piccolo, who had apparently dropped a whole carton of eggs directly into a frying pan. Egg was splattered all across the oven top, shells littering the floor.

"I've never seen Mr. Piccolo look so dumb!" Goten giggled, stuffing a fist into his mouth, hoping that his mother's shouts were blocking out he and Trunks' laughter. The purple haired boy beside him gave a few quick nods, face plastered against the window as Chi Chi's voice rose in volume.

"I mean—who does that?" Trunks snorted.

"Apparently, Mr. Piccolo."

**March 15****th**

"Hey Picooo…. Why are you covered in flour?" Videl snorted, laughing as Piccolo alighted upon the Lookout's marble floors. He gave her a rather sour look, and swiped some of the mess from his cheek, and set about dusting the rest from his clothes.

"Chi Chi," was all he bothered to say, before dropping into a crouch. "This is your warning—are you ready?"

"Yes, sir!" Videl shouted, bending her knees as well. Every time she swore she'd be ready, and every time his foot connected with her jaw she asked herself why the hell she went through with this.

**March 18****th**

Gohan was leaning against Piccolo's chest, smiling happily up at his partner. The alien looked a little more tired than usual, and he knew that Piccolo had been spending more time split between Gohan, Chi Chi, and Videl. He was wondering how the Namekian was managing it all.

"Everything okay?" he finally asked, watching as Piccolo groaned in response, eyes fluttering up just the tiniest bit. Gohan bit the inside of his cheek, holding back laughter. "I'm sorry, Piccolo."

"As you damn well should be!" Piccolo griped. "You're personally responsible."

"Me?" Gohan demanded, chuckling, "How so?"

"These two women interfering are your fault!"

"I'm _so_ sorry," Gohan intoned, kissing Piccolo on the tip of his nose. "I guess I just make friends with all the wrong people."

"Brat," Piccolo sneered, until Gohan's lips were covering his. Whatever insults he could think of were quickly swallowed as Gohan swiped his tongue out, encouraging Piccolo along.

**March 20****th**

"Any progress with your masturbation?" Videl asked in a rather plain voice, examining her fingernails as she sat on the edge of the Lookout. She and Piccolo had just finished a sparring session, and she was attempting to get herself back in order.

Piccolo spluttered just a bit, and then turned to glare at her. "No—not that it's any of your business."

"You seriously can't get turned on?" Videl questioned, leaning back, palms pressing into the tiles as she regarded what she considered to certainly be a friend now. After all, what else could he be at this point? Too many boundaries had been crossed—there was no going back now.

He sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "Those videos and books you gave me were merely disgusting—and sitting in my room thinking about," he scrunched up his nose, "me 'riding Gohan into space' certainly did not work." Here Piccolo gave her a pointed glare. "Are you sure you know how to do these things?"

"Trust me," Videl laughed, "I know."

"Disgusting."

"So we're only allowed to talk about your weird alien bits?" she whined, kicking her feet.

"It's equally disgusting, but you invited yourself into this."

"Suppose I did," Videl mused, looking up to the sky. "Seriously though—maybe you need to talk with Gohan about this? Nothing's turned you on sense then, has it?"

Piccolo looked distinctly uncomfortable at that, and rather guilty. She narrowed her eyes, leaning forward so she could further examine him.

"Ugh!" Videl cried, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Something happened and you kept it from me—let me guess… It was when you and Gohan made out?"

He jerked slightly, staring at her incredulously. She smirked.

"Gohan tells me everything," she gloated, "except for you creaming yourself," Videl admitted. "I mean—you really should have seen some of the earlier text messages. We talked about you, lots." Here she winked, and Piccolo's jaw only sunk lower.

"What the hell?!" he finally spluttered.

"Hm?"

"What kind of stuff were you two saying?" Piccolo demanded, brows contracting as he glared down at Videl.

"Oh, sometimes it was Gohan being the romantic little thing he is—talking about you beautiful your skin looked in the sun this day, or how your voice was so perfect, or how you two went to the bookstore, or played video games." She saw Piccolo's expression soften momentarily, and took this opportunity to continue on. "Then sometimes he was rather dirty. He likes him some Namekian."

Piccolo stiffened then, narrowing his eyes at her. "You're joking."

"I'm not."

"Tch." He had a peculiar look on his face, though, and his crossed arms seemed to be securing him there. A few glances made their way over to her, and he seemed unsure of how to precede or, if, indeed, he should.

Videl spared him having to wound his pride in that way. "It was all simple stuff—he wouldn't get too vulgar with me, after all, we're still talking about Gohan here. He just thinks you're hot, so he talked about it. Also—he _really_ likes your ass."

Piccolo blinked. "Is there something interesting about backsides?"

"Oh, Piccolo," Videl sighed, shaking her head. "If only you knew."

**March 30****th**

Gohan was rather pleased with how the month had gone, despite the earlier rocky start that he'd had with Piccolo. The Namekian was branching out, and Gohan loved to see it. Between the Earthling trio, they had Piccolo kept busy, which in turn made him more passionate and willing to accept Gohan's affections.

One of those occasions was right now, when Gohan was pressing soft kisses on different parts of the Namekian's face—and Piccolo even seemed to be enjoying it, giving Gohan quick smiles whenever the boy drew away.

He finally paused, though, and tilted his head to the side. "Mom told you about my birthday coming up, right?"

"Yes," Piccolo replied, chuckling as Gohan kissed a spot particularly close to his antennae.

"Everyone's going to be there," a kiss to the temple, "and I know you dislike large crowds," kiss to the cheek, "but I was wondering if you'd like to come?" Gohan ended his request with a kiss to the lips, watching as Piccolo appeared rather dazed.

"I was planning on being there," Piccolo finally said, one of his hands sliding up, cradling the back of Gohan's head, fingers twining in the black hair. "Unfortunately your mother has me helping her with something, so I'll be present."

Gohan smiled. "How'd she rope you into participating in a holiday—_again_? This is the third time!"

Piccolo grimaced. "Yes and they all have something in common, so she traps me in rather easily."

"Something in common? Like what?"

Piccolo pulled Gohan in for a solid kiss, then leaned back, glaring pointedly at the boy. "Didn't I tell you I held you personally responsible for all of this? So take a guess."

Gohan simply laughed.

**Okay - so! Gonna go ahead and give you the warning that I might up the rating? It's just, there are a few scenes I want to deal with that delve into mature ranges. I've tried so far to keep it clinical (well other than Gohan's moment) but, especially when it comes to the two actually *ahem*-ing, I'd like to cover it. It'd be a big milestone.**

**Just a heads up in case anyone opposes to that kind of thing.**

**Anyways, thank you for the read, and please let me know what you think in the reviews!**


	12. SY, April

**April 1****st**

Gohan sat on the couch, expression stormy as he refused point blank to look Videl in the eye. Said girl was seated on the armchair, whilst Piccolo stood between the two, looking particularly awkward, attempting to not feel all of the anger that was mounting in the small room.

"Gohan, it's really not all that ba—,"

"_Save it_, Videl." Gohan snarled, one hand curling into a fist upon his lap. His eyes had a fire in them that Piccolo was actually impressed to see, though he supposed now wasn't the time to divulge that piece of information. "I can't believe you! I always put up with your crap, but this is too far!"

Videl looked particularly stung at that. "You don't think you're overreacting?" Her tone carried a hint of a threat, that Gohan was about to enter territory he couldn't return from. But for once, the young man was being impetuous, and barreled forward.

"No, I don't, actually! I think I'm perfectly justified in wondering why someone I consider to be my best friend would do something as _shitty _as this!" Gohan pointed dramatically at his head, and Piccolo's eyes opened a fraction wider than they had been.

Both he and Videl were stung by Gohan's choice of words, though he supposed for drastically different reasons. Videl, for her part, looked as if she'd been slapped across the mouth, while Piccolo was more in a state of incomprehension.

Finally Videl shot to her feet. "You make it sound as if all I ever do is treat you bad!" her hands were by her thighs, fingers curling into fists as she glared down at Gohan.

"Well name one thing you _have _done, Videl?" Gohan retorted, rising to his full height as well, eyes boring a hole into Videl's face.

She hesitated there, and shot a look to Piccolo, before shaking her head, hard. Videl turned her back rather sharply to Gohan, storming over to the door.

"You know what, screw this—I don't need you yelling at me right now!"

"Fine!"

The door slammed shut with a resounding bang, and Gohan threw himself back on the couch, causing the piece of furniture to shudder at the impact. There were practically waves of heat rolling off of the boy, and Piccolo was unsure of what to do. He merely sat there, stupefied as to what had just happened.

"I didn't think pink hair was such a big deal."

"You're bald, how would you know!?"

"Fair enough."

**April 5****th**

Piccolo sat in Videl's apartment, watching the girl shoot a quick message to Gohan. After the two's fight, they'd made up the very next day, both practically in tears as they sought each other's forgiveness. Honestly, Piccolo had no clue what to make of the duo, and decided it was best not to press it too far. He was certain he could never understand every nuance of these humans, and could simply grow accustomed.

The damage had been reversed anyhow, so Gohan hadn't really had any claim to his anger. Once Bulma Briefs had gotten ahold of him—before Chi Chi could ever see him in that state—she had dyed his hair back to black, and the world had been saved from any rants about delinquents.

"Okay, Piccolo!" Videl clapped her hands, setting her phone down. "I'm ready to spar."

"Bout damn time…"

"Watch it—it's a matter of time before I learn how to prank you, too!"

**April 8****th**

"You and Videl have gotten pretty close," Gohan commented one day, and for a fraction of a moment he saw Piccolo's spine stiffen, as if the Namekian was guilty of something. That attracted his attention more than anything, and Gohan narrowed his eyes just the slightest bit.

"Yes, she's becoming a worthy sparring partner. For a human," Piccolo tacked on that last bit, and snorted, as if he'd told some joke.

Gohan was not to be derailed. "Is that all you're doing—is sparring?" He wasn't concerned that Piccolo would be having an affair, far from it. Yet there had been the way Piccolo had reacted whenever Gohan pursued any talk of his time with Videl that set the boy on edge.

Indeed, Piccolo did look the tiniest bit pressured there, but the alien was so good at hiding his emotions that Gohan wasn't able to gain much from his inquisition. The Namekian merely by-passed what had been said, and focused on opening the Tupperware containers Chi Chi had sent.

The food was portioned out, succeeding in distracting Gohan for the moment. He sat at the table, and took a bite of his food, then gave a hum of appreciation, taking another quick bite. And then a few more. Piccolo was watching him, attempting to look stoic, all the while eyes desperately looking for some sign. Gohan furrowed his brow, wondering what it was that Piccolo wanted.

"Yeah?" Gohan mumbled around his mouthful of food.

"Nothing," Piccolo grunted, taking a bite of his dinner. "You just seemed to be enjoying the food."

"Yeah!" Gohan enthused, happily scooping up more. "It tastes different from mom's usual stuff…" here he paused, humming thoughtfully. "I don't know—it's just really good!"

Here Gohan blinked, watching as Piccolo shot his own plate what looked like a rather embarrassed glance.

"It's just food!" The Namekian griped, and Gohan was quite certain that there was a flush on those cheeks. "Don't make such a big deal over it!"

"Right…" Gohan muttered, continuing eating, wondering what the hell was up with Piccolo. He supposed it was all right though, with how good this food actually was tonight. Not that his mom usually _didn't_ make delicious dishes—but there was something that stood out to him here.

He decided to just roll with it, and forgot his original questions over Videl.

**April 11****th**

Piccolo cut down on his time with Videl, telling her that Gohan had gotten suspicious of their frequent rendezvous. In her head, Videl was very happy that she was not a suspicious person, nor was Piccolo, or else this set up would have looked rather bad.

As it was, she simply agreed to Piccolo's request. As far as Videl was concerned, it wouldn't make a big difference. For sparring, Videl was certain she'd almost hit her physical limit, and Piccolo's own endeavors to explore himself had come to naught. The Namekian was unwilling to delve into unknown territory of the risqué kind, so they'd essentially just been sparring as of late, passing time with idle chit chat.

Today they sat on the Lookout, both casting glances down into the world below. Dende was preoccupied elsewhere on the island, and thus the two were discussing Piccolo's current predicament.

"Gohan's birthday is soon," Videl said, rotating her shoulders. They were a bit sore—Piccolo had given her a pretty nasty ki blast to the back, and she was certain there was a burn there. But, she also knew that if she complained, the Namekian would make certain it hurt worse.

"Trust me, I know," he griped, floating beside her in his normal meditation pose. His elbow was digging into his thigh as he slumped forward, claws drumming a pattern against his turban, cape flowing in the wind behind his form.

"Well—I was just thinking—perhaps for his birthday, you could give him those manuscripts." Videl was certain her proposition would be shot down. Piccolo was completely adamant against Gohan ever knowing what was happening. But she was startled to see that the Namekian was actually contemplating the possibility of this happening.

"He can't read Namekian," Piccolo finally said aloud, looking as if that had settled the whole manner.

_Smug bastard_, Videl thought to herself, rolling her eyes at his general piggishness when it came to this whole thing.

"Piccolo, neither can I, and I could still look at all those detailed pictures."

"I would rather he not look at the pictures, thank-you."

"Oh, so just the real thing?"

Piccolo glared at her, and Videl took that as her cue to shut her mouth on the topic, though it did not stop her from conversing entirely. When she next spoke, she could hear the groan he emitted.

"Rude—so what are you getting him?" she finally asked.

"His mother has me preparing something for him," the Namekian replied. "And you are to know nothing more than that."

Videl pouted, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at the Namekian. "We're practically best friends now, Piccolo, you really shouldn't be embarrassed to discuss things with me."

"I'm not embarrassed," Piccolo snapped, throwing a cursory glare her way.

"You didn't deny we're best friends," Videl teased, prodding one of his legs with her index finger. She winced just the slightest bit, and wondered if perhaps it was broken. She had hurt it earlier when she'd jabbed Piccolo in the eye as a last ditch effort.

"Fine, I'll deny it now." He uncrossed his legs, stepping lightly on the tiles until he came up behind her. Videl turned, blinking slowly as the Namekian stooped down, one knee pressing against the tiled floor. "Earlier, I hit you here, didn't I?" One of Piccolo's fingers prodded sharply between her shoulder blades, causing the girl to hiss in pain.

"That you did," she grimaced, teeth gritting together.

"Then let me prove to you why we're not friends," Videl paused at his words, and felt suspicion beginning to gather for the first time, just a little bit too late. Piccolo stood, pressed the heel of his foot against her back, and pushed.

* * *

"Piccolo," Gohan glared at his partner, arms crossed as disappointment stretched so easily across his features. "You cannot push people off of the Lookout."

Piccolo jerked back a step, staring incredulously at Gohan. He'd just landed outside the door, ready to spend time with the boy, and this was the greeting he had gotten the moment he'd walked in the door. Confused as hell, Piccolo peered around Gohan's taut frame, just to see Videl lounging across the couch, her tongue shoved in his direction.

"You!" Piccolo snarled, hands forming into fists as he attempted to move around Gohan, just to have a hand planted firmly in his chest. "You told on me?" the Namekian demanded, not caring how childish he sounded at the moment.

Videl was laughing hysterically by this point, only fueling Piccolo's rage.

"Now," Gohan huffed, shoving Piccolo a little harder till he was completely out the door, "once you're ready to apologize to Videl, you can come back. Until then, go to the Lookout, and think about what you've done."

Piccolo spluttered several noises of protest, until the door was slammed in his face, and he could still hear Videl's pealing laughter through the walls, along with Gohan chastising her as well. Completely surrounded in the unfairness of it, the wounded Namekian floated back up to the Lookout, promising pure hell the next time the human girl came to him for training!

* * *

"That idiot," Videl smiled, though her expression was soft. Soon Gohan was sitting beside her, giving her a lecture as well, but she took it all in good stride. It basically consisted of how she was baiting Piccolo along, and how it was very rude, and she should expect these things from him, and not to coming running to Gohan every time Piccolo's training went too far.

He rattled on for so long that Videl was certain there was going to be no end, until he finally quieted down.

"I'm good now, mom," she smirked, watching as he narrowed his eyes a bit. "Gods, I really can tell you're Chi Chi's son! That lecturing tone, that terrifying look—hell you just made one of the strongest people in the universe back off of your door step!" She giggled a bit.

"You're both such children," Gohan huffed, shaking his head. Then he bit his lip, turning to look at Videl. "While I've got you here… Piccolo won't answer me—but are you two doing something? I mean, he always gets really evasive about your training whenever I ask and…" His voice trailed off, and there looked to be several conflicting emotions there.

Videl patted him on the shoulder, drawing his attention. "Look—it's just something that's embarrassing for Piccolo, okay? I mean, we are actually training some of the time, and other times, I'm training him for stuff."

Gohan's curiosity looked piqued at that, now openly curious at her words. She held up a hand, however, before his questions became to invasive.

"I'm not going to tell you what he's training for, okay? That would be a violation of my newest friends trust!" Videl did give him a thumbs up, though, and rewarding smile. "Just know that it's something you'll eventually benefit from, if I can get him to pull his head out of his va—his ass."

"What 'v' word were you going to say?" Gohan asked, to which Videl quickly shook her head, mimicking zipping her lips as she hopped up from the couch.

"My, my, look at the time! I have just _got _to go!" She shot for the door then, a stupefied Gohan watching her as she went, unable to actually stop her in his stupor.

**April 16****th**

Piccolo stayed away for a few days, presumably as a slight to Gohan for wounding the warrior's pride. Soon the Namekian reappeared, though, saying that he'd apologized to Videl—which Gohan knew to be a lie for the girl had contacted him, saying that Piccolo had thrown a rock through her window, claiming it was all her fault, and that she take responsibility.

Despite his knowledge, Gohan decided to allow it for now. Not that his decision was affected at all by Piccolo appearing at his doorstep, in his human clothes, looking a particularly lovely shade of green in the afternoon sun—nope, not at all. Gohan was a rational being.

A rational being that, the moment Piccolo stopped talking… actually no, that was inaccurate. The very _millisecond_ Piccolo stopped talking, Gohan rocked onto his toes and attached his lips to the Namekian's, not even waiting before his arms were around a thick neck, and his tongue was inside his partner's mouth.

Piccolo made a small noise of surprise, rocking back just a bit. Gohan moaned and pulled the Namekian into the apartment, not breaking contact. He kicked the door shut with a quick motion, and then proceeded to back Piccolo up against it, lips still going ferociously against the others.

Finally sated, Gohan rocked backwards, releasing Piccolo.

"Did mom send any food?" Gohan asked, swiping a hand across his lips. He looked up to Piccolo's face, almost wanting to laugh at the dumbfounded expression that met him. The Namekian's eyes were wide, and his jaw was hanging.

Piccolo made a few incomprehensible noises, still leaning against the door from where Gohan had pressed him. For his part, Gohan felt a mild sense of shame—that he'd succumbed so easily. But, he also felt reassured in the fact that it had been a few days with no contact, and Gohan had quite missed having his partner by his side. It almost made it hard to believe he'd gone for years without ever having had that sensation.

When Piccolo finally came to his sense, he finally spluttered out a half-hearted "what the hell?" which Gohan found quite adorable in its own right. Though, he was sure he'd get bitch-slapped into the next universe should he say anything.

"I missed you," Gohan chuckled, rubbing at the back of his head. "A lot."

"I see."

"Did you not like it?" the boy continued, watching Piccolo's face. He was certain that if the Namekian had had any serious complaints that they would have been voice by a fist in his gut, and thus he was certain that this stupefaction was simply by the sheer spontaneity over it.

Piccolo didn't answer, though, and merely crossed his arms, purple still evident. "No, your mom didn't send food today. I forgot to go over there…" The Namekian's words trailed off, and Gohan didn't push it. Instead, he scooped up his cell phone, tapping merrily away at it.

"All right, I'll order some pizza. Want some?" A glare. "I didn't think so, but I always ask!"

**April 17****th**

"It happened last night," Piccolo grumbled, sitting on Videl's bed, the girl herself occupying a bean bag chair as she painted her toenails. Honestly she was only doing it _because _Piccolo was here, and it was always a kick to watch his face whenever she did pointless human things.

"What happened last night?" she asked, though she could already guess.

"You know damn well what," he snapped, shifting awkwardly, mattress making a few noises underneath his rather large form. Vaguely, Videl wondered how much he weighed.

"Got turned on?" A nod. "But you didn't secrete anything this time?" He shifted. "A small amount?" Nod. "Ah—that's called horniness. I mentioned that last time you guys made out, remember? So—is that what happened this time?"

"Kind of," Piccolo grunted, looking acutely uncomfortable at this point. Another shift. "He attacked me."

"He gets like that sometimes," Videl laughed, putting a few more touches on her nails, then wriggled all ten toes, eyes squinting at the bright red that gleamed back up at her. She saw Piccolo's gaze lock onto hers, completely focused now. "Every time I'd leave for big trips with dad, or he'd be gone for a while, he'd jump me the moment I got back." She supposed this was a bit weird to tell his current partner, but Piccolo merely sat there.

"Jump you," Piccolo rumbled in response, fingers drumming against the comforter. "That is sex?"

"Er… slang for it, yeah," Videl replied, digging her heels into the carpet, making sure the polish touched nothing. Last time she'd gotten the paint on the carper her dad had been rather upset, and ripped up all of her carpet, complaining that his princess didn't deserve stained floors. All new for his darling! What a pain.

He was watching her carefully, tactician's eyes. "You've had sex with Gohan, then." It wasn't a question, and Videl felt her cheeks heat up just a bit. "You know what he likes and what he's doing, then?"

Videl shifted, screwing on the cap to the polish, and setting it on the night table.

"I mean—yeah, but every time is different..." Her discomfort mounted. As willing as she was to help Piccolo, she didn't want to do this. Her past with Gohan was rather private as far as she was concerned, and while she was all for being crass and disgusting when it was funny, this was far too real.

Piccolo seemed to notice this, though, and backed off. "So, human, why are you doing that? I've seen the Briefs women do that."

"Oh, nail polish," she smirked, back in her element. "It's human war paint."

He cocked his head to the side, and she hopped over to the bed, scooping up one of his hands. For a moment he gathered a small bit of ki in his hands, and then relaxed slowly when she placated him.

"For when you and Gohan spar, next," Videl enthused. "I mean, he always liked seeing my war paint whenever we got frisky," she winked up at him, "I think it's a Saiyan thing."

**April 18****th**

"I can't believe you thought nail polish was war paint," Chi Chi griped, taking another cotton swab to his nails. Piccolo appeared to be pouting, glaring angrily at the wall as if it were Videl and he could somehow exact his revenge on it.

"I'll kill that girl."

"I'm certain—with all this war paint you must be itching for a fight!"

"…. Fuck off."

**April 20****th**

Piccolo sat on the couch, a sleeping Gohan leaning against his ribcage. He smiled down at the boy, swiping that unruly piece of hair from his forehead that always seemed to dangle there. For the life of him Piccolo couldn't believe the messes that this human had gotten him into over the years. Every ridiculous thing to happen to him insofar was thanks to this insolent brat.

And yet, Piccolo couldn't even be angry with that fact. He was simply happy to have Gohan in his life, and wouldn't change a single bit of it. Piccolo had practically grown up with the boy, seriously affecting Piccolo in some way that he couldn't explain. They'd both had such a significant impact on one another's lives that he supposed becoming entwined in some form or fashion was almost unavoidable, even if it hadn't been romantic.

Piccolo reflected on the fact that in another universe he very well could currently be attending Gohan and Videl's wedding, watching the two have children who grew to have adventures of their own. The possibility was high, if he was basing anything off of Trunks' travels, in to which any change split into another world—multiverse, Gohan had called it.

Carefully, he bent his neck just the tiniest bit, placing a soft kiss on Gohan's forehead, watching the sleepy smile that spanned the boy's features. While Piccolo was happy in their current relationship, he also couldn't help but hope that in the other universes that he was just as happy alongside all these idiots he'd met.

He hoped that all of the separate entities that were Piccolo could have a Chi Chi who nagged him, a Videl who bossed him around, and a Gohan to cherish no matter in what form their love manifested itself.

Sighing, Piccolo leaned his head back against the couch, wondering when he'd become such a mushy fool. His gaze slid down, alighting on Gohan.

"You're how, that's why," Piccolo snarled, at no one in particular.

Gohan snuggled a bit closer.

**Hi enjoy this shameless filler chapter where nothing of consequence happens. OTL**

**Well - the next chapter is Gohan's birthday, and it should be up in the next two-ish days? It's almost done being written so yup!**

**Thanks for the reviews insofar, and please continue to let me know how you're feeling with the story!**


	13. SY, May

**I recently got a question over Piccolo's gender, so I'd like to answer this first! As far as this fic goes, Piccolo is a man, for how he identifies. Sexually, I'm going with Toriyama's statement of them being hermaphrodites, so he - or rather Namekian's - have both parts. So basically even if I were to write fem!Piccolo (I only mention this because I got a a PM over it), then he would be exactly the same, simply with female pronouns, if that makes sense. Because I'm certain that Namekians don't really have gender roles and suppositions like we as humans do. **

**However, if you're worried that Piccolo will be entirely submissive when it comes to more illicit activities, I will only say this: I enjoy pairings that switch it up, where no one is the top and no one is the bottom. Sooo there's your hint on how that's going to go down.**

**I just wanted to answer that reviewer, and sorry for any confusion I might have caused discussing Piccolo's genitalia. Buuuut it will get covered a little better later, when he and Gohan are actually intimate. **

**May 1****st**

"Soon I'll be twenty one!" Gohan cheered, throwing his arms around his mother's small frame. She buckled slightly underneath his weight, giving a small yelp. He quickly withdrew, looking rather guilty as his mother shook her head.

"I'm proud of you, honey," Chi Chi said, swiping her bangs from her forehead. She lifted her hands and cupped his cheeks, staring proudly up into his eyes. "And I know your father is, too!" There was the soft edge to her voice whenever she mentioned Goku, but she didn't let it linger.

Gohan grimaced, slightly, and distracted himself by waving hello to Goten, who had just entered the door from school. He gave Gohan a quick wave, before quickly turning to his mother. Every time Gohan saw him he was so struck by the similarities to Goku that Gohan couldn't even begin to imagine how it had happened. He also wondered if it hurt his mother to look at Goten sometimes.

"Hi, sweetie," Chi Chi greeted, a warm smile as she placed a quick kiss to Goten's forehead. He made a disgusted noise in return, swiping at his skin a little roughly, to where a red patch formed. Their mother merely rolled her eyes.

"Seriously, mom, you can't do that anymore! What if Mr. Piccolo saw you kissing me?" Goten groaned. "He'd probably make fun of me!"

Gohan decided not to point out that he and Piccolo kissed foreheads quite often, and the Namekian really had no grounds to mock Goten.

"Where is he, anyways? You keep him so busy cooking here lately he doesn't get to train as much anymore!" Goten was pouting now, arms huffily crossed over his chest, and his words truly struck Gohan. Chi Chi paused, eyes widening slightly, as she turned to look at Gohan.

"Mom…" Gohan's voice bordered on having a 'dangerous attitude'—in Chi Chi's terms, "what is Goten talking about?"

"Well, dear…"

"Mr. Piccolo comes over her and cooks all the time," Goten whined, flopping dramatically against the table. "He always packs it up though when he leaves, so I never even get to eat it! All I get is mom's food."

Here Chi Chi scooped up a spoon, whacking Goten lightly on the back of the head. "Did you want to go hungry, mister?" she demanded, though there was still a smile on her face. Goten immediately set about pleading his case, offering numerous apologies to Chi Chi.

"Wait… Mom… Has he been the one cooking here lately?" Gohan demanded, grasping at Chi Chi's elbow. The woman winced, slightly, but not from pain, simply from being caught red-handed. Her face was covered with guilt.

"Goten, go do your homework."

"But _mom_! Trunks said he and his dad found a dead body, I wanted to go see it and—,"

"_Now_!"

Loud complaints emitted from Goten as he stormed up to his room, slamming his door with a little more force than normal. Chi Chi pinched the bridge of her nose, rubbing at her temple with her free hand. She looked so thoroughly done that Gohan actually laughed.

"I'm going to have to talk to Bulma—that's the third dead body in the past two months. I'm pretty sure Vegeta isn't finding them, by the way, whatever the hell he's telling Trunks!"

Gohan shook his head, wondering how the hell these small women held in check their ridiculous ass husbands.

"Anyways—mom—back to the whole Piccolo cooking thing?" his hands were on his hips then, watching as Chi Chi took in his pose, not liking the way that his mother's mouth quirked up at the corners.

"Well… I started teaching Piccolo how to cook," Chi Chi replied, trying to sound as nonchalant as humanly possible, all the while ignoring Gohan's incredulous expression. "He's surprisingly good at it." Here she pursed her lips, looking rather dejected. "In fact, _too _good for someone that doesn't even eat all that much!"

"You sound a little jealous," Gohan chuckled, watching as she gave him a rather sour look.

"A tiny bit," she admitted, laughing as he rolled his eyes. "I just felt like your boyfriend needed to know simple housing skills—especially considering I know you won't cook."

"Remember the great house fire of Age 775," he teased, watching his mother's face blanch at the very thought.

"Point taken."

"I thought so," he smirked in victory, though deep inside he could feel his stomach churning. That food that he'd been so in favor of had been Piccolo's—and that just brought a whole new meaning to those glances. Then there was the fact that Piccolo had actually partaken in such an act…

He wrinkled his nose. "Was he ever going to tell me?" Gohan finally asked, not sure if he meant to ask the question aloud, or if it was an inner reflection.

His mother smiled. "Trust me, he was going to tell you—we have something planned."

"That's suspicious."

"Something good!" Chi Chi promised, giving him a reassuring hug. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to start cleaning up."

Gohan nodded, but all he could think was _I want to watch Piccolo cook._

**May 3****rd**

He couldn't believe that a year ago he and Piccolo had had a falling out over Gohan masturbating on his couch. It was truly miraculous how Earth worked her wonders. And by miraculous Gohan meant stressful, but weirdly satisfying, which he supposed was well enough.

Especially considering he was now here, sitting in the floor, leaning his head against Piccolo's thigh as the two tapped away at another level in Gauntlet. He was surprised that the Namekian had stuck with the game thus far, despite the fact that he complained through every level.

Literally every. Single. Level.

Piccolo finally snapped something out in Namekian, and Gohan jumped in surprise, giving his partner a rather odd look. The alien felt his gaze, but shot Gohan a cursory glance.

"Not right now, Gohan—_damn spiders_!" It was truly amazing how personally Piccolo took every offense to his character.

Gohan chuckled, and focused back on the game, wondering how the hell he ever got so lucky to get such a big green doofus as his crush.

**May 8****th**

Piccolo resisted the urge to burn down Chi Chi's stove, or, preferably Goten for making his damn cake fall. He'd been practicing and reading all those damn books the woman shoved his way, and he'd finally made something that 'didn't exactly follow a recipe', per that damn woman's orders, and the little brat had come stomping in from some sort of fight with Trunks.

Staring miserably down at the pan, he wondered how angry Chi Chi and Gohan would be if he blasted Goten. Chi Chi would probably hit him with her frying pan, and Gohan would simply refuse to speak to him… Then again, Piccolo reflected that if he left Gohan alone, he got a rather passionate return.

Temptation was real, but he let Chi Chi handle it.

This time.

**May 12****th**

The day was here. Gohan's birthday. He was so excited that it didn't even make sense. There was no particular reason to even be this pumped about a birthday anymore, considering that it would just be a gathering of the same group as every other year, and presents would be minimal, but he couldn't help but feel excited.

Then again, part of his excitement was due to the fact that he was guessing Piccolo wouldn't give him anything, and thus he could probably bribe the Namekian into cooking at the apartment. That alone was giving him enough fuel to rush into his closet. He snatched up his favorite blue sweater, a comfy pair of blue jeans, and quickly dragged them on.

Soon he was flying out to his mother's house. He was met halfway there by Videl, who beamed happily at him, barreling into his form as she wrapped him in a spiraling hug as they flew towards the mountains. It was a miracle that he managed to steer them straight.

"Twenty one!" she enthused, beaming up at him. "You can legally drink!"

"So exciting," he replied with a roll of his eyes. "You can tell I'm super excited, right?"

"Whatever, spoil sport," she griped, releasing him to fly at her own pace. "You're no fun now that you're so old!"

"I know, I know, my most sincere apologies!"

Videl continued to tease him until they finally landed in the Son household's backyard, touching down to see the wide spread of food that Chi Chi was currently organizing on a few fold out tables. She looked rather frazzled, but Gohan noticed that she was wearing the dress he'd gotten her for Christmas, and that made him smile.

Goten was sneaking around the table, attempting to take a few bites out of everything before the guests arrived. Videl took one look at the pitiful state that Chi Chi was in, and hurriedly took off after Goten, keeping him occupied with a game of tag.

Chi Chi looked to her son, gave him a quick kiss, then shot back into the kitchen. Rather bored since no guests were there yet, Gohan trailed slowly into the kitchen, side-stepping around his mother, who was rocketing outside with yet another plate of food.

Then he saw something that could only happen in his wildest fantasies.

Piccolo was bent over, and giving Gohan a nice enough view without the fact that the Namekian was currently drawing a cake out of the oven, placing it on the stove stop. Calming himself, Gohan took a few deep breaths through his nose, watching as Piccolo slowly turned to look at him.

"Oh!" Gohan was a little startled, as Piccolo was in a different outfit. Sure, it was simple blue jeans still, but apparently Chi Chi had convinced the Namekian to wear a nice black button up, the sleeves currently rolled up to Piccolo's elbows.

The alien looked a little startled, then flushed a bit, averting his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Happy birthday, kid." He made a jerky motion towards the cake. "I mean…" There his eyes squinted up, as if challenging Gohan to say anything negative, "it's not done yet. It's cooling down." A huffing noise followed, and Gohan smiled, the love-sick puppy that he knew he was.

He took a few steps forward, grasping Piccolo's hands, and pulling the Namekian's arms apart. Gohan rocked onto his toes, ready to kiss his partner.

"None of that!" Chi Chi shrieked, poking her head in. "I knew my mom senses were tingling! We've got too much to do! Kiss him after he finishes that cake and _so help me Piccolo if you don't hurry up with that chip plate_!"

"I got it, woman," Piccolo snapped, releasing Gohan's hands in favor of rushing over to the table, muttering underneath his breath as he dumped chips out into selected slots. Gohan almost wanted to release a delirious laugh at the bizarreness of it all. "Go outside," Piccolo commanded, giving Gohan a sharp prod. "Your mother will kill us if someone gets in her way of running through here, birthday boy or not."

Gohan nodded, and quickly trundled outside, just to see that the Briefs had arrived. Bulma was attempting to calm down Chi Chi, who had apparently tripped and spilled a bit of the cheese cubes, whilst Trunks and Goten were currently sparring with Videl—who was losing quite tremendously. Vegeta was sitting in a foldable chair, attempting to look dignified despite the fact that he was wearing clothes that Bulma had obviously picked out, and was sitting on an uncomfortable metal chair at a birthday party.

"Vegeta," Bulma snapped, turning to glare at her husband, "get off your lazy ass and get the kids!"

"You get them, you stupid, woman," Vegeta returned, giving her the middle finger as he desperately tried to appear regal. She sneered at him.

"They're gonna make a mess, and you're cleaning it up, mister!"

"The Prince of Saiyans cleans nothing!"

"Trust me, I know, I _live with you_!"

"Nobody told you to do that. I'm fine on my own."

"You're homeless on your own!" Bulma replied, smug smile on her face.

Gohan chuckled, realizing just how much he missed the Briefs' constant bickering. Sometimes they were a breath of fresh air, and sometimes they were completely suffocating. Today, he was in a good enough mood that he could readily accept them and all their idiosyncrasies.

But then again, maybe that was the love in him talking.

After Bulma complained enough, Vegeta eventually did go and rear in the children, grabbing them by the scruffs of their necks and forcing them to come sit beside him at the table. Chi Chi still looked nervous, rather certain that Vegeta was as irresponsible when it came to food as were the children.

Soon after Krillin, Android 18, Yamcha, Tien, and Chaotzu all arrived, though, calming her slightly. There were more eyes to watch wandering hands. Gohan smiled as he saw a few presents added to a small little pile, and he couldn't be more pleased. The only one he was suspicious about was when Master Roshi appeared, and tossed what looked like a thin book into the group of presents.

Gohan wondered how Piccolo was holding up, but Chi Chi was allowing no one to enter the kitchen. If they had to use the bathroom, she directed them into the woods, claiming that if they didn't want to go out there, then they could wait. For his part, Gohan found that rather unfair, considering he'd tried to use that as a cover once to go see Piccolo, and she'd quickly admonished him for that.

Really unfair.

But, Chi Chi had brought out the drinks to properly satisfy all the guests, and everyone was milling around, sipping happily at their cups and conversing. Currently, Gohan found himself occupied with Android 18.

"Happy birthday," she'd said in her rather clinical voice. "I suppose 17 wishes you the same."

"How nice—he still liking his park ranger job?" Gohan asked. While he wouldn't say that 18 put him ill at ease, there was always mild discomfort talking to her. After all, she and her brother were responsible for him losing his arm and dying in another timeline. There was bound to be some tension, he supposed.

"Yes, he likes it fine. He's got Marron right now, actually. She likes the cabin he stays in out there, and she gets fussy when there's lots of people around." 18 said all this blandly, but he could clearly see pride shining in her eyes. He simply nodded, though the mention of Marron always baffled him, considering he wasn't sure how the android gave birth—though he supposed she was largely biologically driven.

Videl approached then, and 18 took her leave. The girl gave the passing woman a glance, then leaned against Gohan's shoulder.

"So—if Krillin did the grown up with her… Does she count as a sex doll?" Videl questioned, causing Gohan to splutter into his drink.

"Videl—no. Just… No. Please do not offend her, of anyone, at this party." He shook his head. "We can stop Vegeta, and everyone else, just… Not her."

"Watch your mouth, Kakarott spawn," Vegeta snarled, walking past the duo. Videl and Gohan both gave solemn nods as the veteran warrior continued to his wife, where he quickly placed a cup in her hands, and then feigned disdain once more. Bulma smiled up at him though, and made a motion that looked suspiciously like she was goosing him.

Gohan decided he didn't want to know.

"All right!" Chi Chi called, clapping her hands as she and Piccolo finally emerged from within the kitchen. There were several noises of surprise at Piccolo's appearance, to which he readily ignored. He and Gohan's gazes met, though, and Gohan had to bite his lip.

Piccolo was looking especially perfect today—and that was saying something.

Videl nudged him forward then, and Gohan realized that his mother was trying to get him to help himself to some of the food. He stumbled forward, awkwardly, everyone waiting for him before they began. Gohan was the only Saiyan allowed to go so early, and he gloated over the fact as Vegeta, Trunks, and Goten watched him eat with drool collecting in their mouths.

Chi Chi instead focused on all of the humans getting their fill first, then the Saiyans were unleashed upon the table. Bulma and Chi Chi both shook their heads in disapproval, before taking seats across from one another, with room saved specifically for their children to sit at.

Goten and Trunks sat beside the mothers, looking particularly disheartened by the women being able to hear their conversation. Vegeta placed himself next to Trunks, though, causing the boy to perk up just the slightest bit, while Goten seemed to wilt by the other man's presence. 18 and Krillin then took seats, with Yamcha, Tien and Chautzu following behind.

Roshi stood by the table, eating as he stood there. Gohan felt his impending sense of doom gathering more than ever as he heard the elderly man promise 'somethin' good!' from him.

Gohan took his spot across from Piccolo, who was seated with Videl already. The Namekian was merely helping himself to a rather tall class of water, gulping readily at it. Beside him, Videl was happily taking bites of her food, offering compliments to Piccolo.

"It really is good," Gohan promised, giving Piccolo a rather meaningful glance. A small flush lit the Namekain's cheeks, and he shrugged away Gohan's praise. Videl had a rather secretive smile on her face, and was looking particularly happy.

"Whatever. Happy birthday—damn brat." Piccolo's voice was particularly raspy, and he looked as if he was trying to force venom into the voice that he just didn't possess. Chuckling, Gohan settled into his food.

"This is really good, Chi Chi!" Bulma suddenly piped up, humming appreciatively.

Chi Chi tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, looking to Bulma. "Thank-you, but a lot of this was actually made by Piccolo. He also baked the cake that you're all going to get to have today."

Several forks hit the table, while everyone's jaws dropped, aside from the trio at the end of the table. Gohan merely felt a sharp sting of pride at everyone loving Piccolo's food, Piccolo looked rather flustered, and Videl just nudged Piccolo, attempting to be reassuring.

"P-Piccolo," Krilin gasped, staring at his food. "Namekians don't even eat! That's so not fair!"

Bulma sighed, "Piccolo—tell me, can I hire you as my new cook? This is the best!"

Piccolo looked unsure of what to do, and seemed on the verge of saying something rather rude. Gohan, Chi Chi, and Videl all recognized that impending look, and all three leapt to change the subject simultaneously. The Namekian gave them all a look, and focused once more on his glass of water.

A little farther into dinner, Piccolo excused himself, going back into the kitchen for 'finishing touches'. Chi Chi gave him a small nod of approval, while she directed everyone's attention to Gohan. A hearty round of 'happy birthday' filled the air, and Gohan even joined in with Videl, who purposefully sang the words wrong.

It was at this time that the plates were all cleared away, and Chi Chi called for Piccolo to bring the cake out. The Namekain came, then, and Gohan's mouth fell open at the sight that greeted him.

In Piccolo's hands was a simple cake, covered in chocolate frosting. It was nothing special, until he set it down, and Gohan saw that there were seven little candy dragon balls, along with a sweet little cursive of 'Happy Birthday' written across it.

Piccolo shifted as he set down the cake. "I'm not good with the decorating," he snarled, crossing his arms defensively, "so if you don't like it—don't eat it."

"No, Piccolo…" Gohan felt his words stick in his throat, as he imagined that Piccolo had learned how to make this… how to make this for him… "I love it…" That caught the Namekian off guard, and Piccolo huffed a small noise, taking his seat quickly.

"Jeez, Gohan, is it going to be okay if we cut it?" Krillin teased, leaning against the table to look at Gohan. "You look pretty attached to it already!"

Gohan flushed then, knitting his fingers together in his lap. Videl pursed her lips, while Chi Chi once again distracted everyone, by placing the candles smack dab in the middle, then motioning Gohan forwards.

He stood then, stumbling over to his mother as she lit the candles. Bending over, he licked his lips, listening to everyone singing another chorus of 'happy birthday', and he struggled to think of a wish he wanted to come true.

Closing his eyes, he sucked in a deep breath. He was already so happy… Well….

_I want to grow even closer to Piccolo_.

He blew.

He felt like that was a safe enough wish, even if it was just a lame birthday one. His friends were amazing, his family was perfect, he did well in school, and he'd gotten to see Piccolo bent over a hot oven pulling him a cake out—it was pretty much all he had at the moment.

Then his mother was slicing up pieces, passing them out—the Saiyans were quickly let down by the fact that they'd only be allowed one piece, as the rest was to go home with Gohan. He thanked his mother under his breath, and saw the sly smirk she gave him.

"I thought you'd like to keep some of it," she replied, and he nodded, looking to Piccolo.

"Present time, then?" Videl finally asked, and Chi Chi nodded, now that everyone had quieted down and were eating their cake. The girl then withdrew a capsule from her pocket, and pushed it open, a present popping out of it. She plopped it in his lap, as Chi Chi brought over the rest.

Gohan unwrapped Videl's gift, biting back a sharp noise as he looked down.

"Videl… Videl this is an Xbox One…."

"I know," the girl smiled, taking a big bite of her cake, kicking her feet underneath the table. She winked at him. "Wouldn't you know that I read the box before I bought it?"

"No, Videl… This is too expensive what the—,"

"Ah, ah, ah," Videl tutted, holding up one finger at him. "Complaining about a gift is extremely rude!"

"She's right," Chi Chi muttered, though even she looked a little astounded by Videl's gift.

"Right… Thank-you, Videl…" his voice trailed off, and he set the console to the side, still particularly dumbfounded as his mother delivered a packet into his hands. She shifted guiltily as he opened it, and saw that there were a few gift cards inside, along with a book he'd had his eye on.

"I'm sorry…" Chi Chi muttered, obviously embarrassed next to Videl's gift.

"Mom," Gohan stood up, gathering his mother into his arms. "It's perfect, thank-you. I live off of scholarship money," he chuckled, attempting to soothe her worries, "so any extra is always appreciated."

"Of course…" Chi Chi still looked unsure of herself as she sat back down, and Gohan could see that Videl was now feeling as if she'd done something wrong. He sighed—the women in his life were a never ending struggle!

Everyone else had gotten him books and clothes, of which he thanked everyone. Bulma had also given him a gift card, though he hid it from his mother's curious eyes. She didn't need to see the thousand zeni card that Bulma had just given him.

Master Roshi's came last, and it was to be expected that the moment Gohan opened it, he was treated to an eyeful of a naked lady. The old man seemed to find that his gift was the very best.

"That's three of the best magazines I have, kiddo!" Roshi enthused, ignoring the irate look Chi Chi was giving him. "You're legal now—so enjoy it." A wink followed those words, and Gohan felt the irresistible urge to shudder in disgust.

Then he looked up and saw Piccolo staring at the magazine, a rather odd look on his face.

"Hey, Piccolo, enjoying the view?" Yamcha teased, laughter loud and booming, the others following in line. Gohan sighed, knowing that they all meant well, and were attempting to include Piccolo in their festivities—he just wished that they'd learn this was not the way.

"Tch," Piccolo grunted, looking sharply away. "You humans offer me nothing that is physically appealing."

All right he was obviously trying to shut people up, but that comment hurt a bit, Gohan had to admit. He met Videl's gaze, and saw that she was attempting to flag down Piccolo, before the Namekian said something that he'd most likely regret.

"Well, at least Gohan can have some fun with it," Krillin shook his head. "18 made me throw all mine out!"

Yamcha chuckled. "I feel you, my last girlfriend burned mine!" The two then looked at Vegeta, the only other male at the table, who merely shrugged.

"Bulma tried to share hers with me—I found them odd and unnecessary. A paper woman is of no use to me when I have a functioning wife." Bulma gaped at her husband, spluttering as she looked to Trunks and Goten, who were openly curious about Gohan's new magazines, and why adults had them.

Hurriedly, Gohan stuffed it inside the bag Chi Chi had given him for all of his presents, and again, he felt Piccolo's gaze following the item.

Gohan was helping clean up while Chi Chi ushered Goten up to bed. All the other guests had left since then, and all that was left was the little trio of friends currently cleaning. Videl was put in charge of dishes, while Piccolo had stayed outside helping Gohan, claiming that he wanted out of the kitchen.

Though Gohan was also secretly guessing that Piccolo wanted to be with him. Either that, or it was wishful thinking, and whichever it was Gohan was kind of okay with it. He was enjoying picking up paper plates, and accidentally bumping hands with Piccolo. It felt so innocent and sweet…

Gohan could practically feel his heart melting.

Once they'd finished, Gohan sidled up to Piccolo, smiling into his partner's face.

"Thanks for the perfect birthday," Gohan said, sliding his hands into Piccolo's.

"Thank your mother—I just got suckered into this," Piccolo grumbled, though there was a soft edge to the corner of his mouth.

"Regardless, my present was amazing… That cake was delicious." Gohan leaned upwards, ready to give Piccolo a soft kiss.

"Sorry to interrupt, boys," Chi Chi's voice cut in, and Gohan bit back the urge to groan aloud, "but we still need to get this tables back inside." He was rather pleased to see that Piccolo looked equally disgruntled, but the two knew better than to argue. Instead, they wandered about behind Chi Chi, doing small tasks.

Gohan almost complained on the basis of it being his birthday, but he'd tried that once when he was younger. It hadn't gone as well as planned when it had ended in a ten minute rant from his mother about how the party was as far as his leeway went. The lesson had been learned.

Eventually his mother released them, though, and Gohan scooped up his bag of presents, hugged Videl and Chi Chi good-bye, then took to the skies, expecting Piccolo to follow. Instead, he saw the Namekian jerked down, talking to Videl in a hushed voice. She was making rather grand gestures, and Gohan grew more curious than ever.

Piccolo soon joined him, though, and there was a distinct flush about the alien.

"I have to go to the Lookout for just a moment. I left another… Another present of yours up there."

Gohan blinked in surprise, but then Piccolo was gone. Arching a brow, Gohan decided to take the Namekian's word, and headed back to the apartment.

Gohan was in the kitchen, stealing another slice of cake when Piccolo entered the apartment. The alien headed into the kitchen to greet him, approaching slowly, with a few old parchments in his hands. Curious, Gohan drew closer, cake forgotten on the countertop as Piccolo shoved the papers at him. That was when Gohan noticed that the loose leaves he saw were actually bound books. Humming thoughtfully, he saw that they were written in some foreign language.

He flipped through a few pages, until he came to one where there was clearly a page with a naked Namekian on it, and quite a few descriptive sub images around it.

Gohan stared at the paper.

"This is what Videl and I have been studying," Piccolo snarled, "after that… neck incident… Well, regardless, Dende gave me this and so there you go." His voice was waspish, his stance defensive, while Gohan could only stare, wide-eyed, at the page.

"You've been studying… Wait… how the hell did you study this with Videl?" Gohan blurted out, eyes still trained on the naked Namekian in the book.

Piccolo coughed. "I use the term study loosely…" he shifted, large frame heaving in place. "I've only gotten… 'horny'… around you." The Namekian shut his eyes, squeezing them tightly. Gohan felt as if his brain had been fried, and he felt all the parchments tumble from his fingers.

Piccolo made a sharp noise, bending over to gather up the books, while Gohan could only stare directly ahead at the wall, not really comprehending anything other than the words that Piccolo had just said. There was no emotion with a name that could properly describe what he felt in that moment, and he was certain there never would be.

"Gohan?" Piccolo barked, tucking the papers under his arm, glaring down at his partner.

"Mm?" Gohan muttered, still unintelligible, and caught in the stupor he could not escape.

"You'd better say something before I snap your neck," Piccolo snarled, looking as if he'd readily follow up on his threat.

Clearing his throat, Gohan nodded, shaking his shoulders and his head as he did so.

"Sorry I just… Wow…" Gohan stopped then, once again getting the dazed look.

A growl made him refocus.

"I mean wow in a good way Piccolo just… What you just said was rather fantastic and…" Gohan flushed, wondering if you could get turned on by someone saying something that wasn't even sexy. If so, Roshi had given him the wrong magazine—he'd rather one filled to the brim with Piccolo smiling at him, cooking, and simply saying the _word_ horny.

"It's what Videl told me to say," Piccolo huffed, setting the books off to the side. "Talking to her before talking to you has made this a little easier." There the Namekian grimaced. "Not that it helps all that much."

Gohan chuckled, rubbing at the back of his head. "Yeah… Nothing really helps, you know? When you're… When it's your first time. There's not a thing on this Earth that can prepare you for whatever happens."

Piccolo made a noise, then shrugged his shoulders. Here he squinted up his eyes, glaring dangerously down at Gohan. The boy retracted slightly, feeling the malice building up behind that gaze, and he wondered what had the alien so on edge.

"This is not permission to do that, just so you know," Piccolo snarled. "I just feel as if you should know about my anatomy—or… rather Videl thinks you should." The alien sneered just the tiniest bit, and Gohan was quite grateful to Videl in that moment.

"Of course… Piccolo, I will gladly take things slowly." Gohan smiled, soft and reassuring, before taking Piccolo's hands in his.

The Namekian pursed his lips, nodding his head. "I know."

That small admission was breath taking with the trust it implied, and Gohan didn't feel any reservations when he took a few steps forward, and pulled Piccolo into a chaste kiss, brushing lips as quickly as possible.

"But…" Piccolo grunted, looking away, "today is your birthday so…" Another huff, and Piccolo was trying to look anywhere but at Gohan. "It was suggested to me…" He breathed heavily from his nose. "That you can go a little farther than normal—not too far," Piccolo clicked his fangs, bearing down upon Gohan.

"Piccolo… If this is just Videl telling you to do stuff and you following it then…."

"It's not that!" Piccolo snapped, crossing his arms. "I'm not some blind idiot listening to Videl—if I did, we would already have copulated!"

Gohan chuckled, "Yeah, she's pretty for us getting together."

"Indeed."

"All right so… Happy birthday to me?" Gohan joked, ignoring the look Piccolo gave him. Instead, he focused on taking a few steps forward, to raise his hands and pull Piccolo down into a kiss. He started slow, lips dragging against Piccolo's in a steady fashion, his tongue making its way into the Namekian's mouth.

His hands stayed there, simply holding Piccolo in a comforting way, while large green hands took their customary position upon Gohan's waist, unsure of where else they could go. Gohan smiled into the kiss at that thought, and realized how much he truly loved Piccolo.

"Not," mph, "that I mind," mph, "but I just gave," nn, "you permission to do other stuff," Piccolo muttered, squeezing in his words between Gohan's insistent kissing.

"I know," Gohan pulled back slightly, lips barely touching Piccolo's as he spoke. "But, you were too tense at first… This is about you, too, Piccolo." Then he smiled, and drew the rather touched looking Piccolo back into his kiss.

And then… Gohan slowly let his hands drop from Piccolo's cheeks. He ran his hands across that smooth neck, fingers curling patterns along it as he felt all that he could. Piccolo gave a small shudder against him, and Gohan remembered how sensitive the Namekian's neck was. He'd avoided it since the incident but…

He wondered if today he was allowed…

Gohan focused on maintaining the kiss, hands now dragging down the planes of Piccolo's chest, mapping out the muscles there that he'd adored for so much time now, and how fantastic they felt while his fingers skimmed so readily over them.

Slowly, while his hands wandered down to Piccolo's hips, Gohan shifted his kisses off to the side, trailing his way to Piccolo's neck once more. The Namekian made no move to stop him, and thus Gohan relished in the fact that he was allowed to return kisses to Piccolo once more, savoring the taste of the alien's neck.

Piccolo stumbled back just a bit, as if ready to fall, but Gohan caught him with warm hands cupping Piccolo's wonderful backside. He couldn't help it, Gohan actually moaned, biting into the green skin he'd been licking, squeezing tightly to the Namekian's ass.

The Namekian made a sharp noise of pleasure, just as Gohan withdrew. The boy tumbled backwards, back hitting the wall, staring at Piccolo with wide eyes. Across from him, he could see that the alien had secreted again, and Gohan was staring at it. He wondered what Piccolo saw in his eyes at that moment—he could only hope that his want to fuck wasn't completely apparent.

"You," Piccolo's voice was raspy, obviously trying to deny his instinct to flee the scene as soon as possible, "you stopped. Why?"

Gohan bit his lip. "I uh… I felt like I was going too far… Um… With your ass and the neck thing…"

Piccolo lifted a hand, placing it against his neck. He pulled it away, purple blood staining his fingertips. A reflective look entered his face, and he made a thoughtful hum, despite how out of breath he clearly was. At least Gohan wasn't the only one.

"Yes you did grab my backside and bite my neck…" Piccolo looked down. "And that as well."

"The secretion," Gohan said dumbly, unsure of what else to call it. Honestly his brain was so out of it from their small bout of pleasure that he wasn't sure of what else to do. "Did I… Did I go too far?" he finally asked, feeling a few shadows of doubt flickering there.

"No…" Piccolo muttered, staring down at himself. "I enjoyed it… and I didn't want you to stop."

Gohan's fingers twitched at those words, and he was certain that his erection was rather obvious at this point. Really, there was no avoiding it. He'd just grabbed Piccolo's ass—one of his biggest fantasies since he'd grown feelings for the alien.

"I enjoyed it a lot, too," Gohan finally said, licking his lips.

Piccolo flushed the tiniest bit, and nodded his head. "Of course."

"Piccolo…" Gohan collected himself, just a tiniest bit, so he could look at his partner, "that was a big step for you tonight… If you want to call it quits for the night…?"

"Yes," Piccolo finally grunted, beaming a new gi onto him. Gohan kind of wished he could beam his erection away, as he knew Piccolo kept looking at it. "You're free to look at those books, I've already read them." Then the Namekian excused himself, heading out the door.

Gohan breathed through his nose, and flopped back onto the couch, wondering when the hell things had gotten here.

**May 15****th**

As per the usual custom, Piccolo was absent for a few days, presumably collecting himself before facing Gohan again. This worked quite alright with Gohan, as the boy set about shifting through those old manuscripts that Piccolo had given him. He'd pour himself a cup of hot chocolate, and peered down into the pages, crinkling beneath his fingertips.

He'd gotten as much as he could from them, for now, considering he couldn't read Namekian. From what he could tell, there was quite a bit happening for the Namekian's, and he could almost feel sympathetic for Piccolo, who would of course have no idea how to handle what was happening in his body.

But Gohan could still also remember the statement 'I only get horny around you', and then he had to excuse himself to go indulge in some self-love, with all new imagery to attend the action.

For all of his reading and pretending, however, he still wasn't ready when Piccolo was there once more. He'd exited the bathroom, just to find the Namekian seated on the couch, looking directly down at the carpet. Gohan gave a soft smile, and resisted the urge to attack the alien as he'd done last time.

"Hey," he greeted instead, watching Piccolo's face carefully.

"Hello," Piccolo returned, and Gohan slowly came forward, seating himself on the couch. He saw the Namekian crinkle his nose just the slightest bit, looking down in disapproval. "It smells weird in here—,"

"Don't comment on it," Gohan interrupted, holding up one hand and shaking his head.

Piccolo blinked, then shifted his large frame, and Gohan saw that he was already holding a novel. He took the hint, and as Piccolo began to read, he began playing one of the new games he'd bought for his Xbox One.

**May 18****th**

They'd resumed their languid make-out sessions on the couch, of which Gohan was eternally grateful. He'd quite missed this sensation, holding Piccolo in his arms as he tasted the Namekian. However, Gohan was always rather mindful of where his hands were now, though he longed for the day that he'd be able to revisit what they'd done on his birthday.

**May 20****th**

Piccolo looked rather distracted, and Videl gave him a reassuring pat on the head.

"It's okay, baldy," she teased, "every virgin gets a little nervous."

He smacked her in between the shoulder blades, perhaps a little more roughly than was necessary, and she tumbled forwards off of her bed. Videl grimaced, mouth pressing into the carpet, and decided that she really needed to learn to shut her mouth sometimes.

**May 21****st**

Piccolo actually conceded to cooking at the apartment, and Gohan could practically feel his wet dreams coming to fruition. The Namekian was soon stationed in the kitchen, grumbling as Gohan seated himself at the table, avidly watching every movement the alien made.

Attempting to ignore him, Piccolo shifted around in the cabinets. When he felt Gohan's staring was too strong, he chucked a box at Gohan's face, who simply dodged it and set it on the table, unwilling to look away.

Groaning, Piccolo let him be. "I'm just making spaghetti alright, so don't expect anything fancy. You got that?" his voice was a snarl, and his eyes narrowed as if challenging Gohan to argue with his choice. The demi-Saiyan merely shrugged, and beamed a smile at his partner.

"I want anything you make," Gohan enthused, leaning against the table as Piccolo made a disgruntled noise, and turned back to the oven. "Also, thank-you for wearing blue jeans today." He saw Piccolo give him a confused expression. This was Gohan's new plan, anyhow, to make stuff like this as routine as kissing. Perhaps it would loosen Piccolo up.

Piccolo didn't ask any questions, though, so Gohan just sat back and enjoyed the show. The Namekian moved as wonderfully as he did in battle, and that was saying something. His fingers unfurling as the noodles fell in the pot, and his quick, sure stirs in the other holding all of the sauce.

When Piccolo was done, he simply joined the two together in the same pot, and brought the whole thing over to Gohan, plonking it down on the table. Gohan was certain that his face lit up to an immeasurable degree, and he shot up from the table, placing a kiss on Piccolo's lips.

He lingered there, for just a moment, and took his seat once more.

"You don't want any?" Gohan asked, looking up into Piccolo's stupefied expression.

"No," Piccolo finally muttered, as if coming to his senses. Instead he took a seat across from Gohan, and for the next twenty minutes avidly pretended that he could not see the young man demolishing the food he'd prepared.

"It was delicious!" Gohan enthused, swiping a napkin across his mouth as he grinned at Piccolo.

"I couldn't tell," the Namekian snorted, gesturing at the empty pot. Gohan simply shrugged in response, and deposited the dishes in the sink, ready to deal with them later. He swigged down a few gulps of water, not wanting Piccolo to taste or smell spaghetti on him, then approached his partner.

Piccolo gave him an odd look, as Gohan leaned forward, placing his hands on the Namekian's thighs as he dipped in, placing a soft kiss upon his partner. He heard a startled noise, but pushed past it, massaging his fingers into the muscle there. His hands were small in relation to Piccolo's thighs, and once again he was reminded of their enormous size difference.

He didn't particularly care, though, seeing as Piccolo was kissing him back.

"Your turn," Gohan muttered, "let your hands wander, and do whatever you want."

Piccolo seemed nervous now, and Gohan felt large fingers twitch against his sides, but the Namekian was obliging. He'd began much like Gohan had, presumably because that's all he knew how to do. Not that the demi-Saiyan was willing to complain whenever Piccolo was drawing his tongue along Gohan's neck—the sensation was pretty fantastic.

He made a small noise of encouragement, pressing himself closer. His chest touched the Namekian's, and since Piccolo was seated he was able to wedge himself in between those legs, feeling Piccolo's hands roaming over him. Again their size difference was brought to light, as the Namekian's hand span managed to cover all of Gohan's torso in one drag.

Piccolo's fangs scraped roughly against Gohan's neck, and he winced, just the tiniest bit, before Piccolo's tongue had placed a soothing lick upon it. He hummed happily, until he felt that Piccolo's hands had wondered to the base of Gohan's spine, where the stump of his tail had been. A finger pressed against it, and Gohan moaned, loud, rutting his hips against Piccolo's.

There the Namekian decided to withdraw, eyes wide as he regarded Gohan. The boy flushed, shifting his shoulders as he wobbled back to stand on his own, wincing as his cock pressed uncomfortably against his zipper.

He could see Piccolo's eyes on it.

"Sorry, Piccolo," Gohan gulped, rubbing at the back of his head, looking rather shame-faced. There was no way to hide it at this point.

"My body is supposed to do that, too," the Namekian said suddenly, pointing directly at it, and Gohan felt increasingly embarrassed. "After stimulation, of course."

"Right," Gohan muttered, fingers twining together as he looked at the alien. "I'm still uh—," he gulped, "—still sorry."

Piccolo shrugged, though his eyes didn't meet Gohan's, too busy staring at something else. "We've both been embarrassed now, then," he said, voice deep and soothing. "I secreted and you became erect—I'm beginning to think these things are inevitable in a relationship with you."

Gohan snorted, tilting his head. "Did you basically just imply that I'm irresistible?"

"If you get a big head about this, I'll definitely kick your ass, you know that right?"

"Roger that," Gohan laughed, then shyly turned away. "But uh… Since we're not _there_ yet in our relationship, d'you mind leaving for just a moment? I really would rather you not hear what's going on, okay?"

"I already have," Piccolo griped. "You forgot about my hearing before we started this whole mess." Regardless, the Namekian did rise to his feet. He pressed a slight kiss on Gohan's forehead, and then excused himself out the door.

**Thank-you for all your reviews, and I hope I answered any questions that were floating around. **

**If not, feel free to ask more. I certainly don't mind hearing from you all, and clearing up anything!**

**Until next time!**


	14. SY, June

**I'd like to start this off with a huge thank-you to Heuksal/agoddamn for the wonderful fanart that they drew of Piccolo eating Froyo!**

** agoddamn. tumblr post/120750910030/i-finally-finished-a-picture-for-bathroom-blowjobs**

**And to answer the questions asked by mahmfic:**

**Yes Piccolo has both a female and a male set of organs - and no on the Vegeta subplot, unfortunately. **

**Aaaand this chapter goes up to M. Like. In the first paragraph. So you are warned.**

**June 1****st**

Gohan's head dipped back and he wondered if it was possible to receive pleasure so profound that you literally left the Earth, because if so his mind was on a one way trip to Mars, and it wasn't coming back down. For here he was, sitting at the kitchen table, legs spread wide as his cock slid past Piccolo's lips, pressing against the back of the Namekian's throat.

He groaned, fingers playing with the alien's antennae as Piccolo dipped his head down, thrumming a note around Gohan's dick, long purple tongue swirling his length. For the life of him, Gohan couldn't remember how he'd gotten to this point, but he found he didn't care, angling his hips up so he could press further inside of Piccolo's fantastic mouth…

Piccolo was ushering Videl out of the apartment, his face rather comical if only she knew what the hell was going on. He wouldn't say, though, and merely told her that Gohan was otherwise occupied, and that the two of them should go and train.

Videl finally relented, the duo taking to the sky without another word said.

**June 3****rd**

Piccolo decided it was really for the best that he not mention he'd heard Gohan's actions whilst asleep, as he wasn't even certain if the boy could remember it. He was just glad that he'd evacuated Videl in enough time to where she wouldn't tease Gohan for it.

Beside him, said boy was simply smiling at Piccolo, dipping in for a chaste kiss, and asking if Piccolo felt like taking a walk through the nearby park. Pulling himself from his thoughts, Piccolo agreed, and the two headed out.

Gohan took the Namekian's hand in his, and Piccolo allowed it.

**June 5****th **

Piccolo and Gohan were laying on the carpet, though Piccolo kept having to question how the hell Gohan got him to do such stupid things as this. The only comfort he had was that he was in his normal gi, instead of fidgeting about on the ground with those tight human pants that Gohan seemed to enjoy.

They had just finished dinner, which Piccolo had graciously provided, and somehow Gohan had persuaded him to come lie on the floor, silence permeating the apartment as they stared up at those fake star pieces that Goten had slapped up there. Gohan seemed to have a preoccupation with them, and though Piccolo couldn't say he disliked the sight of them, he also didn't understand the demi-Saiyan reflecting on them constantly.

"You know, there's real stars outside," Piccolo grumbled, to which Gohan merely shrugged, spine arching off of the carpet as he stretched.

"Yes but… Whenever I look up at the stars, I just think about how many enemies are out there. How many enemies we've faced… Like they're hiding something. These little fake stars though," Gohan muttered, eyes lidding themselves halfway, "they've done nothing, and there's no secrets. Just… good memories."

Piccolo remained quiet at that, for he had nothing to say. There was nothing of substance to which he could add, and Gohan didn't seem to be prying. Instead, the young man slid closer to him, pressing their sides together.

"I'm not even scared that we'll lose," Gohan suddenly muttered, breathe ghosting against Piccolo's neck. "It's fear of having to fight again, of losing myself…" Piccolo was acutely aware of the fact that he couldn't see Gohan's facial expressions, and couldn't help but feel like he should.

He didn't move.

"So I guess I just… Want to sit under these fake stars, and pretend that it will never happen again."

He swallowed, rather loudly, and he knew Gohan must have heard it. The boy shifted in response, reaching across Piccolo's torso with his arm, holding him there. Piccolo stiffened, ever-so-slightly, but let the action carry through.

Piccolo supposed that if he couldn't be there for Gohan emotionally, then he at least had some obligation to provide whatever it was that hugging someone brought humans.—_(Piccolo wasn't quite comfortable enough just yet to admit that the warmth against his side was comforting and that the smell of the boy around him was enough to set him at more at ease than he'd been the entirety of his life_)

"Piccolo, I love you," Gohan's voice sounded as if it wavered, the sound wobbling in Piccolo's ears as he detected the rapid heart-beat of the boy.

"I love you too, kid." And Piccolo recognized that his own voice sounded a bit off, though it sounded devoid of emotion where Gohan's was rich. Regardless, he actually deemed to wrap his arm around Gohan's waist, holding the boy closer.

Soon Gohan was asleep, and Piccolo was left staring up at the ceiling.

**June 6****th**

Gohan awoke, and Piccolo pretended to have not been watching the boy sleep the whole night. His concern had peaked, what with the strange things and ways to which Gohan spoke. There had been something foreign in the conversation—so destitute that Piccolo consistently had to remind himself that it had certainly happened.

Yet there was a sleepy grin, staring up at him, Son smile already in place at the start of the day. Without hesitation Gohan was upon him, pressing happy kisses to Piccolo's lips, and the Namekian found he didn't want to complain about it. He reciprocated well enough, until he felt hands trailing up his thigh.

"I like waking up to see you in the morning," Gohan chuckled, and Piccolo felt his skin react to wherever Gohan's fingers trailed. The Namekian felt his thigh muscles jump in response, to which Gohan actually removed his hand in favor of clasping with Piccolo's hand.

"You certainly seem in high spirits," and Piccolo wondered if that was appropriate to say, and if last night was even a topic that was allowed to be mentioned.

Gohan's eyes took on a reflective quality, before the boy shook his head, fingers twitching against Piccolo's.

"I guess I was in a weird mood last night, huh?" Gohan laughed, then dropped back down, head landing with a large _thump_ against Piccolo's chest, black hair spilling across his gi. "I'm fine now, Piccolo. Really." There was that Son smile, but Piccolo was staring hard at it.

He slowly nodded his acceptance, which earned him another beaming grin, along with a kiss.

**June 10****th**

Gohan pressed his nose into the junction of the Namekian's neck, breathing in deeply his partner's scent as he started his trail of kisses. At the first sign of tongue, Piccolo hissed in response, and Gohan relished in the fact. His mentor's back was pressed against the carpet, and it soon arched up against Gohan's rib cage.

He slid one hand down, caressing Piccolo's thigh, finger nails dragging against the blue jeans that remained in his way. With the Namekian thoroughly distracted by these ministrations, Gohan opened his mouth, and bit against the green skin, savoring the taste.

Piccolo grunted, and his fingers tightened around Gohan's waist.

"Still good?" Gohan whispered, pressing a kiss to the bite mark, looking hazily up into Piccolo's eyes.

The Namekian gave a short nod in response, his lips quivering, as if he'd almost meant to say something. Smiling, Gohan returned to nipping at the Namek's gorgeous skin. Again he was met with a positive response, Piccolo turning his head to the side.

"_Piccolo_," Gohan muttered emphatically, just to be shoved off by rather large hands. Piccolo was sitting up, looking at the clock in a rather alarmed fashion. The demi-Saiyan stared up at him owlishly, slow steady blinks of confusion.

"I didn't realize it was this late," Piccolo griped, rising up from the floor, beaming on his regular gi. "I promised your mother I'd train Goten today," the Namekian explained, noticing the strange look that Gohan was giving him.

"Oh." Gohan shook his head, and stumbled to his feet. His smile was soon back in place, happy that his partner was going to help his brother. "Have fun!"

Piccolo grunted in response, before heading towards the door.

* * *

"Thank goodness, I almost thought you'd forgotten and—," Chi Chi paused mid-sentence, eyes rather unfocused as her mouth opened slightly. "What the hell are _those_?" she suddenly demanded.

"The hell is what?" Piccolo retorted, crossing his arms. He couldn't understand what the woman was acting so weird about now, and Piccolo was still rather distracted from Gohan's antics. Every time he attempted to focus his thoughts, he was reluctantly aware of how out of focus he was.

"_These_!" She jerked him down by his collar, and prodded his neck, glaring daggers into his eyes. Still confused, Chi Chi released Piccolo, and shoved him back towards the bathroom. "Look in the damn mirror."

He bent forwards, eyeballing his reflection, and the offensive marks that Chi Chi had noticed.

"Love bites, Piccolo, really?" Chi Chi's hip was now popped out, and he couldn't decide if she looked angry or incredibly pissed. There was no true way to gauge those dangerous eyes and smiling mouth, so the woman continued to be an enigma to him.

Piccolo huffed, though, and slapped a hand over his neck, hiding the purple welts where Gohan had teased him. He'd have to make sure he killed that brat next time.

"Go train with Goten," Chi Chi finally grumbled, pointing him down the hall. "I hope he asks plenty of embarrassing questions."

**June 11****th**

Gohan was pouting on the couch, looking up at a glaring Piccolo.

"Your brother is thoroughly convinced that I was attacked by something, and that he now has to train twice as hard for whatever could hurt me." The Namekian's eyes narrowed dangerously, causing Gohan to shift uncomfortably on the couch.

"Okay I'm sorry but—,"

"Your mother threatened me that if I ever showed up looking 'like that again'," he mocked, "that she would cave my skull in with her frying pan." Burly arms crossed over his chest, and his fingers tapped against his muscled forearm.

"I'm sorry," Gohan finally managed to get out, rubbing at the back of his head. "It's just—you seemed to be enjoying it, so I didn't stop." He let out a small, nervous laugh, which Piccolo softened to, just slightly.

The Namekian finally seated himself, obviously done complaining towards the boy. Gohan sighed, and tapped at his chin. He didn't really want to stop their play just because Chi Chi might see it. Then again, he supposed that as a mother, that had not been a pretty sight. After all, she'd never had to see Videl after their romps together, and this must have come as a bit of a shock.

"You know," Gohan slid closer, warm hand pressing against Piccolo's thigh. He felt his mentor twitch, turning to give Gohan a rather pointed look. "I could always uh…" he gulped, "put the marks somewhere mom couldn't um… couldn't see?"

Piccolo blinked, and shifted, looking distinctly out of place.

"Nothing too intimate!" Gohan quickly blurted, waving his hands in front of his face. "Just—maybe you taking off your uh—your um—your shirt?" He knew he sounded a mess, but the prospect was rather exciting to him. He'd seen Piccolo shirtless before, of course, but that had been in a completely different setting…

"Fine." Piccolo grunted the word, but he met Gohan's gaze head on.

Gohan's jaw sagged slightly. "Wai—really?"

"Not if you don't shut the hell up," Piccolo snapped, pulling upwards at the hem of his shirt. Truth be told, the demi-Saiyan was completely at a loss for what to do with his hands or his words at the moment, so he merely let his eyes look on as Piccolo slid his shirt up, the Namekian's muscles contracting with the effort, before the shirt was tossed carelessly on the floor.

"Oh." Gohan's voice was a squeak, and Piccolo noticed with an arch to his brow. "Nothing," the boy cleared his throat, attempting to pour more bass into it, "sorry I just… Got a little caught up in all of… All of that." He vaguely gestured at Piccolo's entire body.

Piccolo seemed confused, but shook his head, apparently deciding that questioning Gohan wouldn't really bring about any of the answers that he wanted. Taking the Namekian's silence as his cue, he shifted forward, hands extended, shakily pressing against Piccolo's chest.

"Hey buddy, do you work-out?" Gohan's laugh was nervous, and his joke was terrible, and he could certainly tell it in the way that Piccolo stared down at him.

"I feel like I'm back at King Kai's planet," Piccolo complained, glaring at Gohan. "Nothing else that stupid better come out of your mouth."

Gohan shrugged. "I make no promises."

Gohan did manage to keep his mouth shut, instead focusing upon his half-naked partner sitting in front of him. His fingers twitched against the alien's pectoral muscles, and he slowly ran his touch over them. Definitely different from being intimate with Videl.

So he let his hands wander down, the tips of his fingers brushing against the pink skin patch that led down to Piccolo's crotch. There he stayed for a moment, reveling in the difference of texture—wherever there was pink, it was softer, more vulnerable.

His hands pressed flat, warming a trail over Piccolo's hips, to the Namekian's back, bringing his face closer to his partner's chest. There he placed his first kiss, eyes nervously watching the minute movements of Piccolo's expression.

With the initial step gone, Gohan felt his confidence mount in the slightest, and his lips moved onto a different spot, just above Piccolo's heart. There his teeth scraped, and he saw Piccolo's mouth twitch in response.

Gohan pressed lightly on Piccolo's shoulder, and the Namekian reclined slightly, back pressing into the arm of the couch. Once his partner was comfortable, Gohan began pressing his lips downwards, eyes never leaving Piccolo's face as he worked his way down to the pink patch, whilst his fingers traced over Piccolo's ribs.

A warm hand pressed against Gohan's head, and he blinked, maintaining eye contact with Piccolo as the Namekian's fingers wound through his hair. He gave a happy hum, and pulled up, dragging the flustered Namekian into a quick kiss.

"Still feeling good?" Gohan asked, nose brushing against Piccolo's.

"I'm fine," Piccolo grumbled, pressing his lips back to Gohan's.

"Just checking," the boy laughed, hand skimming over Piccolo's chest once more, eyes scanning the musculature below him. Part of him wondered why the Namekian seemed so attractive to him now—what with his more masculine features. He'd never particularly been attracted to men before, yet here he was swooning at his companion.

"Why're you staring at me so much?" Piccolo suddenly demanded, causing Gohan to blink, lifting his gaze back up once more to give the Namekian a reassuring smile.

"I like it," Gohan replied, wanting to choke and die on the stupid things that kept coming out of his mouth. He grimaced, but Piccolo didn't seem offended or angry. Instead the Namekian was looking down at Gohan's rather adventurous hand, which had yet to still.

Gohan knew that it was coming soon—they had done something new, and he had no doubts in his mind that Piccolo would be leaving soon in a flurry of movement. Sighing, the boy leaned forward, forehead pressing against Piccolo's warm shoulder, attempting to prolong the moment as much as possible.

"Tired?" Piccolo asked, and the concerned word was so foreign on the Namekian's tongue. He seemed to be trying to hide the nice word he'd said with his tone, and aloof expression, which Gohan eyed once he lifted his head.

He smiled. "I guess," Gohan laughed, pulling back completely. "I figured you'd want to leave soon," he finally admitted, shrugging his shoulders.

To that Piccolo cocked his head.

"Generally whenever we do new stuff—well…" The boy tried to keep his movements vague enough, obviously unsure of how to say this without offending Piccolo. The last thing he wanted was to make the Namekian feel as if he was at fault for something.

"I leave." Piccolo finished. His face was blank, and his tone neutral, giving Gohan no inclination of which way to take that. The Namekian shifted, sitting up fully on the couch, casting his gaze down upon Gohan. "Is that a problem?"

"Not necessarily," Gohan replied, tucking up one knee as he regarded the alien.

"It's late at night, what would you even have me do?" The Namekian inquired, obviously not understanding.

"Sleep," Gohan blurted, biting his lip the moment he'd said it. He didn't know what had come over him. He couldn't reasonably expect Piccolo to comply to a selfish demand like that. "Forget that I said that—I'm sorry."

Piccolo made a noise at the back of his throat. Then he rose from the couch, large form shifting in front of Gohan, arms crossing in a solid stance. His eyes were carefully averted as he held one hand out. Gohan stared at the large fingers spread before him, confused on what he was to do.

Finally Piccolo huffed, and bent forward, fingers grasping Gohan's hand.

"Humans sleep in beds, don't they?" The Namekian rumbled, and Gohan was surprised at the purple tinge spreading over those cheek bones. And that this was really happening—that part was truly stumping Gohan. He blinked a few more times, before he finally rose to his feet, heading back towards the bedroom.

When he clicked on the light to his room, he slowly walked to the bed, unsure of how this was going to go down. Had Piccolo ever slept in a bed? Would it just be them awkwardly sitting on different sides of the bed, completely afraid to make contact…

Gohan groaned, running his hands through his hair as Piccolo released the one he held.

The Namekian stood there expectantly, watching as Gohan shuffled over to his dresser. He picked up a pair of plain black sweat pants, and a shirt.

"I'm going to change into my pajamas," Gohan muttered, fingering the fabric nervously between his fingers. "You can go ahead and get comfortable…" He couldn't believe this was actually happening. Certainly it was all a fuzzy dream that he'd magicked up in his love sick brain.

But when he returned to the room in his pajamas, he saw Piccolo sitting at the edge of the bed, and Gohan took a few steps towards him.

"You okay…?"

"I'm fine," Piccolo snapped, fingernails biting into the bed spread.

Gohan sighed. "Piccolo, we can wait to do this."

Piccolo shot him a glare, before scooting away, uneasily lifting up the bedspread. The Namekian stared at the comforter and pillows, questions evident on his face.

"If you're going to do this, take off your shoes," Gohan said suddenly, moving to the other side of the bed, sliding underneath the covers. "And you might want to beam yourself an outfit like mine. Or your gi. Jeans might not be the most comfortable."

Piccolo muttered something foul, but Gohan could hear him complying. The Namekian had opted for his gi, and Gohan watched him slowly lower himself onto the bed, trying to mimic what Gohan had done. He felt the bed dip down from the alien's weight, and smiled to himself.

Once Piccolo had settled himself underneath the covers, and the Namekian had decided to stop grumbling, Gohan decided to scoot a little closer, nervously tapping Piccolo's shoulder. The Namekian looked to him, and Gohan slid against his side, forearm resting against his partner's stomach. Piccolo placed his arm around Gohan's waist.

The two rested there, and Gohan felt truly comfortable, eyes lidding themselves as he relished all that had happened tonight.

"Gohan?" Piccolo's voice was sudden, and caught him off guard. He looked up, blinking at the Namekian. "I believe you left the light on."

Gohan groaned, slid out of bed, and stomped over to the switch.

**June 15****th**

Piccolo slid the eggs he'd been cooking onto a plate, then set it on the counter, next to the numerous other dishes he had prepared for whenever the sleeping demi-Saiyan awoke. He'd spent the night again last night, and had woken early himself. Knowing full and well that Gohan would be starving when he got up, Piccolo had immediately set about preparing breakfast.

Chi Chi had taught him well—that more was better when it came to feeding her family. There was never really such a thing as 'too much' for the Son boys, and Piccolo had taken that to heart considering what he'd seen them knock back.

Grumbling, he cracked a few more eggs, just in time to hear the first sounds of life coming from within Gohan's room. Rolling his eyes at the stumbling noises that followed afterwards, Piccolo waited for the boy to get dressed, and join him in the kitchen.

"Morning, Piccolo," Gohan mumbled, biting back a yawn as he took a seat at the table.

"It's afternoon. And I don't know how you expect to get any food if you're all the way over there, and the plates are over here," Piccolo griped, turning to glare at the boy. All he got in response was Gohan smiling at him with that sickening face he got sometimes.

"I'm coming over," Gohan finally chuckled, and rose from his seat. He stood on tip toe to place a kiss on the back of Piccolo's neck, before scooping up several plates, and trudging back to his seat. "Thanks for breakfast!" he called. Piccolo knew those were the last words he'd hear for a while as Gohan began shoveling food in.

**June 16****th**

Gohan sat at Chi Chi's table, conversing with his mother. She'd been rather excited to see him, despite the fact that she'd immediately launched into a rather detailed explanation on why she didn't enjoy seeing Piccolo's and his bedroom activities being displayed so easily.

"Mom," Gohan had groaned, rubbing at his forehead. "It was an accident."

"I'm just glad you're not covered in those disgusting marks!" Chi Chi had huffed, crossing her arms. "You know I'm supportive of you Gohan but my goodness… Were you trying to maul him?"

Gohan flushed. "No I just—,"

"Ah! No details," Chi Chi pleaded, holding one hand up before her son. "Spare my old soul that much." Her hand patted her heart dramatically, and he rolled his eyes at her antics.

**June 18****th**

"Really?" Gohan asked, cocking his head to the side as he examined the book that Piccolo held. The Namekian glared at him, to which the boy merely shrugged. "No it's nothing just. Piccolo you might not like those."

Again confusion. "These are apparently 'good reads'," Piccolo pointed demonstratively at the sign hanging above the stack of books. "I am not opposed to fantasy novels."

Gohan sighed. "You know what. Fine. Read _Game of Thrones_. I hope you enjoy it to the fullest."

Piccolo gave him a suspicious look as they checked out.

**June 19****th**

They were sitting on the couch when Piccolo shut the book with a sudden finality and set it on the coffee table. He refused to meet Gohan's gaze as the young man smiled knowingly upon that distant look. Chuckling, he bumped his knee against Piccolo's.

"Didn't like the book?"

"She slept with her brother."

"I tried to warn, didn't I?" Gohan laughed, watching Piccolo's discomfited features.

"Shut the hell up."

**June 24****th**

Gohan actually had the pleasure of waking up first, and realized what a wonderful sight it was. Every time that the Namekian had stayed over, Piccolo had risen prior to Gohan. His partner would leave him, and head into the kitchen, always preparing breakfast. While Gohan couldn't complain—really he loved Piccolo's cooking—he also was quite partial to this sight.

Piccolo was asleep, jaw slack as his head was cradled in the pillow. His antennae were limp, sprawling vividly against the white cotton. Smiling at the sleeping face, Gohan dipped in, placing a soft kiss against the Namekian's forehead. Beneath his lips, Piccolo stirred just the tiniest bit.

Deciding he didn't want to wake Piccolo just yet, Gohan burrowed back into the covers, and took another nap.

**June 26****th**

He took a punch to the face, and brushed it off, attempting not to feel the smart of it against his jaw. Gohan swung one leg out, foot connecting sharply with Piccolo's ribs, and he heard the Namekian hiss in response. Then it was simply a blur, hands flailing as he blocked the blows that Piccolo rained down upon him. The force of the blows knocked him closer to the ground, Gohan unable to make any more shots at Piccolo as long as the Namekian was on the offense.

He was finally able to gain one window of advantage, when Piccolo faltered on a punch, allowing Gohan to step in, slamming his elbow into Piccolo's jaw. The Namekian's feet hit the dirt, orange shoes sliding just the slightest bit as Gohan advanced again, fist making impact with the alien's stomach.

Grunting, Piccolo bent double, as Gohan pushed the alien to the ground, hands pressing Piccolo's shoulders into the ground. Finally the Namekian made a huffing noise, and Gohan smirked, realizing that he had won their little spar.

Smirking down at his partner, Gohan bent down, sitting on Piccolo's stomach as he kissed the Namekian.

"You got lucky, kid," Piccolo complained, Gohan's hands pressing against his chest now.

"Now, now, Mr. Piccolo," Gohan teased, "don't be such a sore loser."

"I can be as sore as I want about it. You punched me, and then set your heavy ass down on top of me!"

"Piccolo, you know words can hurt," Gohan laughed, shaking his head at his mentor. "Just remember that."

"I'm sure they don't hurt as bad as some kid's bony backside digging into my stomach," Piccolo retorted, rising up into a seated position. Gohan slid backwards onto Piccolo's thighs, and stuck his tongue out at his mentor.

"Am I too heavy, or too bony? It can't be both!"

"It can if I say it's so." The Namekian bumped his nose against Gohan's, glaring down at the boy. Gohan merely smiled, arms snaking around Piccolo's neck as he took this opportunity to drag his partner into another kiss.

Grunting, Piccolo pulled back.

"You do realize we're out in an open field, right?"

"I mean—an open field out in the middle of a wasteland," Gohan corrected, chuckling at Piccolo's expression.

"Open nonetheless. If you want all of your lovey shit then you'll get up, and we can go back to the apartment." There Piccolo shoved Gohan off of his lap, rising up to dust off his gi.

"Wait—so we're going back to make out is what you're saying?" Gohan teased, also rising to his feet beside his partner.

Piccolo flushed, and clicked his fangs together at Gohan. "I'm not saying anything other than I'm not doing anything with you in the dirt out where anyone can see us."

Gohan stared at the empty space all around them, arching his brow in response. "Okay. I'm just letting you know that all I hear is 'let's go make out'." He chuckled at Piccolo's furious expression. "I'm kidding, Piccolo! I'm kidding!"

"You damn well better be," Piccolo grumbled, already rising a few feet in the air. Gohan followed suit, smiling as his partner took off towards the apartment.

**Thank-you for all the the reviews (and that beautiful fanart!) and let me know what you think!**


	15. SY, July

**Friendly warning, this chapter has two explicit scenes**

**And also if you suffer from second hand embarrassment I would not read this.**

**July 2****nd**

Chi Chi rolled down the windows in the car, shooting Piccolo a rather disgruntled glare. He completely ignored her and focused on the ride, opting out of any eye contact.

"I don't see why you can't get your air conditioning fixed," Chi Chi began, glaring moodily out of the window.

"I don't see why you can't get your own driver's license."

"Damn slug," she muttered under her breath, earning her a low snarl from her companion.

Piccolo looked utterly drained as he dropped himself unceremoniously upon the couch, ankles crossing as his elbow dug into the fabric. Gohan gave a slow blink at his partner, pausing his video game to focus on the alien.

"Everything okay?" Gohan asked, setting his controller down on the carpet as he fully turned his body.

"No," Piccolo groaned, dragging his palm over his face. "Your damn mother made me run errands with her. I've spent the majority of my day in the damn car with her." There he snapped his fangs together, glaring pointedly at Gohan. "This is entirely your fault."

Gohan chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "Piccolo—you decided to stay on your own."

The Namekian shifted his rather large frame, looking distinctly uncomfortable. "You're still to blame for that," the stubborn alien finally grumbled.

Rising from his position, Gohan took up a position beside Piccolo on the couch, catching one of his partner's green hands in his. He twined their fingers together, Piccolo's much larger hand encompassing his as he slotted them. They didn't fit correctly, Gohan's ring finger and pinkie placed awkwardly to the side.

Gohan decided that he didn't care, and that the sensation was nice enough.

"I'll take all of the blame then," Gohan finally said, voice sticking in his throat. "You've been one of the most important people in my life, Piccolo…" He lifted his eyes, meeting Piccolo's head-on.

He saw Piccolo swallow, before the Namekian leaned forward, tightening his grasp on Gohan.

"I understand the sentiment," Piccolo mumbled, and Gohan smiled.

**July 3****rd**

"Hi, person who doesn't like to answer my messages!" Videl greeted Gohan at the door, waving her phone in his face. He took a hesitant step backwards, rubbing at his sleep mussed hair, blinking blearily down at her.

"Yeah," he grunted, voice cracking just the slightest. "Sorry about that."

"I'm sure you are," she sniffed, crossing her arms as she gave him a playful smile. Then she paused, breathing deeply through her nose. "Oh! Is Piccolo in there cooking?" Videl didn't wait for a response, bustling inside to make her way to the kitchen.

Piccolo gave her a withering look, to which Videl ignored him and seated herself at the table. Gohan followed afterwards, sitting across from his rambunctious friend.

"Why are you so excited?" Gohan asked, cocking his head to the side. "I know you have people to cook for you."

"Yeah," Videl admitted, before shooting Piccolo an appraising look. "But none of them have that hot bod, huh?" She hopped up from her chair, leaning across the table to elbow a rather flustered looking Gohan, who was frantically trying to push her back into her seat.

Piccolo was doing his best to ignore them, keeping his back turned on the young adults.

"So," Videl dropped her voice to a whisper, wagging her eyebrows, "have you bedded the blushing bride yet?"

"I can hear you, damn it!" Piccolo snapped, finally turning from his cooking. Behind him Gohan could hear the bacon popping and sizzling, and deep down he hoped that Piccolo didn't stay distracted for too long. He was rather hungry.

Videl just laughed, head tossing back. "Serves you right for ignoring me," her reply was so flippant that Gohan really didn't understand how she got away with what she did. Then again, Gohan and Chi Chi also fell into that weird little circle of people that could drag Piccolo into such unreasonable behavior.

"Just keep your nose out of my business," Piccolo huffed, turning back once more, flipping a pancake, back rigid.

Videl smirked. "I mean, you did ask me how to masturbate—I think it became my business then."

"Gohan, get her out!"

**July 4****th**

Piccolo sat on a plateau in the wasteland, eyes roaming across the desolation around them. It was around sunset, and Gohan had offered for the two to come out here for the evening. He didn't know what had spurred it on, nor did he question it. All he knew was that it felt good to be underneath the open sky once more. While he enjoyed his evenings with Gohan at the apartment, he still enjoyed the free feeling that came with inhabiting the wasteland.

Gohan was sitting next to him, and while Piccolo was floating in the air, ankles crossing delicately, the demi-Saiyan had flung both his legs out, leaning back on one of his hands as he used the other to stuff his face with sandwiches he had packed.

They sat in amiable silence, until Piccolo felt the prickling along his spine that let him know that Gohan was looking at him. He tilted his head at the boy, prompting him to speak.

"You just look so natural out here," Gohan smiled, head lolling against his shoulder. "Really handsome, I'd say." Piccolo gave a few blinks, staring uncomprehending at the boy. Of course he knew what the word meant, and he knew Gohan was certainly one for compliments.

It was perhaps just that Piccolo wasn't accustomed to them.

Gohan scooted over then, temple pressing against Piccolo's knee. The Namekian smiled down at the demi-Saiyan, not finding any offense in the simple gesture. He extended one hand to plop down on Gohan's head, always loving the feel of the boy's hair. There was something intoxicating about it, and how easily his fingers threaded through what looked so spiky.

Gohan gave a happy hum, tilting his head back.

"I love you a lot, Piccolo," Gohan said suddenly, eyes squinting up at the corner, and Piccolo felt a thrum in his chest. He nodded his ascension, and Gohan took it well enough, beaming his rather large smile up at Piccolo. Then the boy settled down more comfortably, head still residing on Piccolo's knee, and he fell asleep.

**July 8****th**

Gohan's mouth was scorching against Piccolo's neck, and the Namekian felt as if his whole body was on fire where the boy was tracing it. Everywhere that Gohan's fingers touched seemed to come to life, and Piccolo could barely reciprocate, hands clumsily touching at Gohan's waist.

He could feel the demi-Saiyan's hands beginning to wander further down, a thumb rolling across Piccolo's hip. It made the Namekian all that more aware of the fact that he'd discarded his shirt in this current endeavor, and how Gohan had wasted no time in once again exploring everything he could get to.

But now the boy was doing something foreign, and Piccolo had to fight through the haze of Gohan's ministrations to actually notice that the boy's hand was slipping in between Piccolo's thighs. It was an odd sensation, having a hand there, Piccolo vaguely noted. As far as he could recall, that simply wasn't a place hands went. The sensation it gave wasn't bad, in fact it seemed a little thrilling.

And then Gohan pressed his palm flat against Piccolo's more private areas, and rubbed.

The Namekian made a sharp noise, jerking his body, causing more friction from Gohan's hand. He could see that the boy was drawing back slightly, head rising from Piccolo's skin to meet his partner's gaze. His hand, however, remained where it was, and he simply lightened the pressure.

"What the _hell_?" Piccolo demanded, though it didn't sound quite as forceful as he could have hoped. He was acutely aware of the fact that his face was probably flushed, and he didn't look the most dignified pinned down shirtless on a couch.

Gohan seemed unsure of what he wanted to say, and he kept studying Piccolo's face, as if it held the answers he were looking for.

"It's something that's pleasurable," Gohan finally said, still looking wary. Piccolo blinked at him, thigh muscles tensing as he still felt that foreign hand in such a spot.

The Namekian looked down to his lap, where he could see Gohan's wrist peeking up through the gi fabric. Piccolo then looked to Gohan.

"You're certain of this?" He demanded, narrowing his gaze to Gohan's.

"Trust me," the boy laughed, looking as if he were regaining some of his confidence, "I know."

"Very well…"

"The moment you don't like it anymore," Gohan dipped in, pressing a soft kiss to Piccolo's lips, "I can stop." Nodding in acceptance, Piccolo settled back once more, and instead of immediately resuming with his hands, Gohan once more started his slow steady pattern of kisses, and light touches to Piccolo's ribs.

It was when Piccolo fully relaxed again, that the hand shifted once more, and Piccolo grunted just the tiniest bit. He could feel the wetness of the gi pressing back against him, as Gohan's fingers pressed down. Piccolo tilted his head back, hips moving shortly against the demi-Saiyan's digits.

"You look really good right now," Gohan mumbled, and suddenly the boy was kissing him, their lips moving clumsily together as Gohan increased the pace of his rubbing, and Piccolo was acutely aware of the fact that the boy had gone down to two fingers, yet the sensation had only gotten stronger.

Piccolo pressed his thighs around Gohan's hand, distracting himself with the kiss as he didn't know what else he could do.

Then he felt something strange. Piccolo paused for just a moment in the kiss, and Gohan drew back as well. The boy's eyes traveled downwards, just to alight on the bulge that was now present in Piccolo's gi. Blinking in surprise, Gohan drew an inquisitive finger across it, just to have his hand snatched away by a rather flustered Namekian.

"No," Piccolo grunted, and Gohan retracted at once, pushing himself up and away from Piccolo. He sat down on the opposite end of the catch, looking rather confused himself. The Namekian sat there, eyes glued to where there was now a new member present.

He gulped, shaking just the slightest bit as his gaze remained there. His breath was shaky, and he couldn't explain what had happened when Gohan had touched it. Confused, Piccolo lifted one hand to it, and pressed, wondering if he could perhaps push it back down.

His hypothesis was incorrect, though, as he groaned in response, fangs biting into his lips.

Gohan was watching him.

"What are you looking at?" Piccolo demanded, turning his glare upon Gohan.

"One of my fantasies come to life," the boy responded, voice a little faint as he did so.

Piccolo stared at him, not understanding what to say that, and instead looked down at his more pressing problem. This was the first time it had manifested himself, this particular organ, and while he'd read about it, those had been clinical books that spoke of no way of ending its appearance.

"Why won't it go away?" Piccolo finally snarled, pressing the heel of his palm against it once more, just to feel that spike of pleasure again. His knees clicked together and he let out a low hiss, retracting his hand.

"Well… If it's similar to humans, then… You just have to wait. Or take care of it," Gohan coughed, rubbing at the back of his head as he shifted his position. Piccolo looked to the boy, and noted that he had a similar problem occurring.

Piccolo pointed directly at it. "Is that what you do with yours?"

"Don't point at it!" Gohan flushed, hunkering down as if to cover the bulge. "It's rude!"

"I'm not being rude I'm trying to understand!" Piccolo retorted, not understanding why Gohan was being so difficult in the first place. "I've heard you do it anyways—and seen it."

Gohan's mouth gaped open like a fish, and he saw the boy quickly turn away.

"I—yes… You just touch it, okay? Isn't that what Videl was supposed to be teaching you anyways?" Gohan demanded.

Piccolo shrugged. "I told you the training didn't go very far. I was unable to get any of this to happen outside of when I was around you." The Namekian huffed, tugging at the waist band of his gi. "This is uncomfortable."

"Try having one with a zipper," Gohan grumbled.

"So I can just wait it out?" Piccolo asked, tilting his head to the side. Gohan met his gaze, and gave a slow nod.

"I mean—yeah… If you really don't want to go any farther tonight…"

"I don't."

"Then… Then we'll wait it out," Gohan finally said, leaning to the coffee table to grab the remote.

Piccolo stared at the boy. He couldn't understand why Gohan wasn't excusing himself to fix the problem—after all, Gohan actually knew how to handle situations like this. Reflecting on this, Piccolo looked at Gohan, receiving a rather beaming grin in response.

Truly he'd never understand this boy.

**July 10****th**

Gohan visited Goten, the little boy dragging him to all of his favorite 'spots' in the woods. He was quite ecstatic to show Gohan all the creatures that he'd found, and all of the things he'd discovered. Meanwhile, Piccolo had stayed back to keep Chi Chi company, the two talking over cups of tea.

When Goten was finally satisfied, the two headed back towards the house, and Gohan seated himself with his mother and partner. Goten excused himself as the phone rang, which appeared to be Trunks inviting him over to play.

Chi Chi gave her permission, and with the three alone in the kitchen, there seemed to be a heavy sort of atmosphere that almost made Gohan wish he hadn't come.

"So," Chi Chi's voice was carrying some sort of tone that set him even further on edge, and beside him, he could feel Piccolo bristling as well. His mother seemed to be in no hurry, however, and instead set her tea cup down, china clinking against the plate.

"When are you two getting married?"

Gohan jerked, choking on his tea, and Piccolo thumped him rather hard on the back, with far more force than was strictly necessary. Swiping at his mouth, Gohan turned his incredulous gaze to his mother, unable to form words at her calm expression.

"Woman…What the hell are you on about?" Piccolo spoke for him, and he could see the Namekian forming a fist against the table. He knew Piccolo would never use violence against Chi Chi, but that didn't stop him from setting up a nice bravado.

"Well I do what my son to get married," Chi Chi huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Especially with the rate you two are going. Honestly—with all those marks on your neck that I found! What if Gohan were to lose his innocence before marriage!" The woman looked truly astonished at the possibility.

Gohan immediately stilled as he felt Piccolo's eyes on him.

With all the mental force that he had, Gohan threw every plea in the book to Piccolo.

"Especially with how young people are these days," she tutted, shaking her head. "You and Videl were at least sensible in waiting for marriage," Gohan really wished Piccolo would stop staring at him, "but since that didn't pan out, I don't want you throwing yourself into things with Piccolo."

Here Chi Chi paused, turning an inquisitive glance to Piccolo.

"Can you have sex?"

"We're done here," Piccolo finally snapped, rising up from his seat as he quickly set his cup down.

Chi Chi quickly rose as well. "Oh no you don't!" Her fists were soon planted at her hips, and her feet took their customary stance apart from one another, glaring full force up into the towering Namekian's stormy features. "I'm having a serious conversation here!"

"A conversation about thing which do not concern you!" Piccolo retorted, fingers twitching with the urge to hurt something. Gohan quickly intervened, positioning himself between his partner and mother, facing Chi Chi as he used his back to shove Piccolo away.

"Mom—look." He placed hands on her shoulders, hoping to placate her. His eyes softened as he looked into her face, and he could see that she was slowly calming down. "I promise that if Piccolo agrees one day, that we'll get married."

Behind him, he could hear Piccolo snarling something in response, but Gohan deftly stepped on his foot, before leading Chi Chi back to the table, placing a kiss on her cheek.

"I love you mom, and you know I want nothing more than to see you happy." He smiled, big and bright, resembling Goku in a way that he knew would truly warm her heart. And indeed Chi Chi did, wrapping her son in a hug, holding him there for just a moment.

"I know, sweetie," she smiled, then, "you're such a good boy." Her voice soured just the slightest," I mean, you practically made that delinquent behind you tolerable."

Piccolo sneered at her, to which she stuck out her tongue.

"All right, we're going to head back now," he released Chi Chi, and came to stand beside Piccolo. "Bye!"

"What the hell was that about marriage?" Piccolo demanded, the moment they were in the sky.

Gohan chuckled, and shrugged his shoulders. "You know that's what mom wants more than anything—to see Goten and I married off and happy. Anyways, if you'd paid attention, instead of growling the whole time, you'd know I also put a contingency plan on agreeing with her."

Piccolo blinked, furrowing his brow. "My acceptance," the Namekian said slowly, looking to Gohan. "Thanks, kid."

"It was nothing," Gohan smiled, and Piccolo loved the way the hair whipped around the boy's face, his cheeks ruddy from the wind. "I only ask for a kiss in return!"

Piccolo huffed, then. "You're and idiot, kid, you know that right?"

"They say love makes you do dumb things!"

And Piccolo decided that he actually could agree with that.

**July 12****th**

"You're seriously going to let me do this?" Gohan asked, staring up at Piccolo's face. The Namekian, for his part, glared down at Gohan.

"Not if you sit there and talk about it, I won't," he snapped, claws digging into the couch as Gohan hovered over top of him. The two had been fooling around in the bed, and Piccolo's erection had made itself known once more.

Gohan gulped, nodding slowly, as he leaned back on his hands and knees. Piccolo was leaning against the pillows, watching Gohan's every move. Gohan moved forward, hands tracing up Piccolo's legs, the denim beneath his fingers a little coarse. He pressed slightly on Piccolo's thighs, spreading his legs apart just enough that Gohan could move a little clsoer. His fingers finally touched hesitantly upon Piccolo's—well, he supposed he might as well call it a cock…

He heard Piccolo hiss in response, and the Namekian shifted.

"You were right about the zipper," Piccolo grumbled, and Gohan laughed, some of the tension leaving the room.

"Yeah, it's not the most comfortable situation. At least boxers help," Gohan smiled, before noticing Piccolo's confused expression.

"Boxers? Are those what your undergarments are?" Piccolo asked, pointing vaguely at Gohan's drawers. The demi-Saiyan paused, staring down at his partner.

"Are you telling me that you're not… That you've never… You don't wear underwear?" Gohan stuttered out, and then realized that it should have been fairly obvious. Why would Piccolo need to? What purpose would it serve?

He felt his throat dry out just a little bit, when Piccolo shook his head no.

"Okay, I guess that's… Well…" Gohan breathed heavily through his nose. He shook his head, attempting to focus once more on Piccolo's predicament. He met Piccolo's gaze. "Can I unzip your pants…?"

Piccolo seemed to hesitate there, before he gave a slow nod.

Gohan bit his lip, running his palm across the bulge one more time, and eliciting rather exciting noises from the Namekian. Then he moved his shaking fingers to the zipper, slowly dragging it down. Piccolo's breathing seemed to increase, and he looked up to see the Namekian's chest heaving. Gohan decided to save them both some trouble and unbuttoned the Namekian's trousers as well.

For a moment, he paused, taking in the sight of a shirtless Piccolo, staring down at his erection that was now sprouting forth from his pants. It was of a reasonable size, and pink, with no lines or ridges like a human's would have—simply sleek, and smooth. Gohan could also see that whatever secretion Namekian's produced, it covered their male organs as well.

"Stop staring at it!" Piccolo parroted Gohan rather well from the other night, and the boy couldn't help but laugh.

"See—makes you feel uncomfortable, doesn't it?" Gohan smiled, though his fingers were at the Namekian's thighs again, already kneading the muscles there, settling back into the mood of things.

"I guess," Piccolo acquiesced, and Gohan's merriment seemed to relax the Namekian. As far as Gohan was concerned, keeping Piccolo calm was top priority. He need Piccolo to trust completely in him, so that way the Namekian wouldn't see his own nervousness.

Sure, Gohan had had sex, but never with anyone other than Videl—who certainly did not have a penis. All he had to go on was what Videl had done to him, and what he'd done to himself for that matter. When it had just been Piccolo's female organ—well, he'd felt a bit more confident that he'd know what to do.

Though the appearance of Piccolo's cock wasn't really a bad thing… Gohan still found the sight highly erotic, if he were to be honest with himself.

Sucking in a deep breath, he extended one hand out, his fingers curling around Piccolo's member. He felt Piccolo stiffen underneath him, and he smiled. The member was wet, and pumping his hand only seemed to increase that. Gohan found he didn't mind, and continued his pace, hand rising up and down on Piccolo's shaft.

The Namekian made small grunts above him, and Gohan felt warmth glowing in his chest every time he looked up to his partner. While he was rather taken in his love, Gohan began to experiment. With Piccolo thoroughly caught up in the sensation, he set about slowly lowering the Namekian's britches, allowing his other hand to have access to Piccolo's female organ.

One hand stayed holding onto Piccolo's shaft, as the other pressed its fingers against the major source of Piccolo's wetness. The Namekian made a sharp noise as two of Gohan's digits pressed against the area, and rubbed. Piccolo was panting, and his hips actually jutted up, pressing himself closer to Gohan's administrations.

"_Piccolo_," Gohan muttered reverently, and he was aware of just how much he loved his partner. Of just how highly he held the Namekian in regard. Every breath, every arch, and every movement that Piccolo made—Gohan wanted to witness it, wanted to capsulize it and keep it forever.

He withdrew his hand from Piccolo's pants, and slowed his pace on the Namekian's cock, so that he could draw closer, fingers snatching at his partner's chin so he could press heated kisses to Piccolo's lips.

"Y-Your fingers," Piccolo panted out, antennae twitching as he took in this small respite. Gohan's hand was now languid, simply there instead of moving. "They're wet."

"They are…" Gohan said, before remembering something that had driven Videl crazy. Smiling at his mentor, Gohan put his fingers to his mouth, and dragged his tongue along them. It tasted—simple, he supposed. There was really no other way to put it, other than that he liked it.

And he saw Piccolo's eyes watching him do it.

Then Piccolo crinkled up his nose. "Are you sure that's healthy, kid?" his voice was still a little haggard, but he seemed capable enough.

Blinking in response, Gohan laughed, harder than normal, fully releasing Piccolo as he flopped down on the bed.

"Hey—what the hell, kid?" Piccolo shoved him, and Gohan rolled onto his back, beaming a grin up to his partner.

"Sorry it was just—it's not bad, Piccolo." Gohan chuckled, pushing back up into his seated position. His hand slid over to Piccolo's thigh. Things weren't going as smoothly as they could've gone, he supposed, but they were going as perfectly as he could imagine.

Piccolo looked down to the hand. "If you say so…"

"Trust me," Gohan smiled, one finger touching softly at the member. "Maybe one day, when you're ready, we can talk about oral." Piccolo blinked a few times in confusion, before Gohan's hand was fully encompassing his shaft once more, and Piccolo made a rather pathetic noise.

This time, Gohan pumped his hand at a fast pace, hand flying across Piccolo's cock as he placed his free hand at the female organ once more. There his fingers pressed together, teasing at Piccolo, and rubbing along the entire area.

Piccolo tossed his head back, and Gohan watched, loving the sight and the feel of his partner quivering beneath him.

As it was, Gohan received no warning for Piccolo's climax. One moment Gohan was giving Piccolo what he figured was a pretty good hand-job—and the next, the Namekian was growling, and Gohan felt cum splatter on his face.

He paused, mouth agape, as the discharge slid down his cheeks, and he slowly looked to Piccolo, who seemed incapable of anything at the moment. Shuffling back just a bit, Gohan watched as Piccolo's male organ receded. All of a sudden he was increasingly aware of the heavy sounds of their breathing filling the rom, and the fact that he had… Well…

"Piccolo?" Gohan's voice was quiet, timid. This was Piccolo's first orgasm, part of him was reminded.

The Namekian slowly looked to him, eyelids drooping heavily over his eyes. He looked completely drained, staring at Gohan, looking completely dumbfounded. Gohan had never seen his mentor with that kind of expression before, and he didn't quite know what to do.

Smiling, though, he slowly slid out of bed.

"Go ahead and rest, Piccolo," Gohan said, watching as the Namekian's eyes followed him out of the room. "We'll talk tomorrow." Piccolo didn't seem to have much of an argument, and instead reclined upon the bed, falling asleep far more quickly than Gohan had ever seen.

Pleased, Gohan sat there for just a moment, before he remembered that he was currently more than a little disgusting. Grimacing, he quickly grabbed some spare clothes, and rushed into the bathroom.

**July 13****th**

When Gohan woke up, it was not to the smell of breakfast, or to Piccolo's grumpy words.

When he woke up it was to an empty bed, and certainly an empty apartment. Sighing, he rubbed at his forehead, flopping down upon the couch. Part of him wanted to immediately go out searching for his partner, yet part of him also knew that if Piccolo were gone, then it was for a reason.

The Namekian had probably not been as ready for last night's events as he'd initially thought, and now Gohan was stuck there wondering how long the interim period was going to be for Piccolo to once more become comfortable enough to come around.

Gohan was stewing in his own thoughts when he heard a click, and he turned to see the door opening. He blinked in surprise as Piccolo entered the apartment, already in his regular clothes with a shopping back held in his hand.

Staring at him, Gohan met his partner's gaze, before turning inquisitively to the bag.

"I had to go borrow eggs from your mother," Piccolo muttered, fingers tightening around the plastic strap. "You need to go grocery shopping soon."

Gohan sat there, gaping, for a moment more, before he flung himself at Piccolo, crashing into a rather forceful hug. Piccolo made a small noise of complaint, and Gohan heard the eggs hit the floor, the carton popping open, and he even heard a few eggs break against the tile entrance. He found he didn't care.

When Piccolo was finally able to push Gohan away, he looked to the mess.

"You know you're cleaning that up, right?" Piccolo snapped, clearly not understanding what had happened with Gohan. "And you can make your own damn breakfast!"

"I'm fine with that," Gohan smiled, grabbing Piccolo's cheeks as he kissed the Namekian.

"The hell's the matter with you this morning?" he could hear Piccolo grumbling as he took his usual seat on the couch, novel in hand as Gohan stooped down, scooping up the mess.

Sure, he was going to be hungry, but he couldn't help but be excited! He was certain that Piccolo had left due to discomfort, and an unwillingness to continue for the time being. But the fact that Piccolo had simply left for something so mundane…

It really warmed Gohan's heart.

"You wanted to talk?" Piccolo began, setting his book to the side as Gohan joined him on the couch.

"Well, this was rather important—your first orgasm." Gohan said the word with just a tinge of embarrassment.

"Yeah." Piccolo grimaced, gesturing vaguely at Gohan's face. "Sorry about… _that _by the way."

Gohan merely shrugged, amicable enough. "I didn't mind it all that much," he admitted, albeit a little shyly. It sounded a bit weird to talk about it now, outside of the context of which it had happened. Indeed, he saw Piccolo shift his frame off to the side.

They sat there in silence for just a moment, before Gohan began once more.

"Would you be interested in… Doing it again?" Gohan asked, looking to his mentor.

"… Yes…"

**July 18****th**

"Why don't either of you tell me anything anymore?" Videl whined, arms crossed pointedly over her chest. Across from her Piccolo and Gohan sat side by side. She had invited them out to this restaurant, and while Piccolo had denied food in favor of just water, Gohan already had a few plates stack up beside him.

"Because it's none of your business," Piccolo finally answered, taking a long sip from his glass of water.

Videl huffed. "We've had this discussion before—but all right, I'll drop it. Instead, I just wanted to invite the two of you over to go swimming."

"Pass," Piccolo said, quite resolutely, while Gohan hummed thoughtfully.

"It's for all of the Z-fighters," Videl admitted, shrugging her shoulders. "So you're all getting invitations. Though, personally, I feel like you two should go together. Isn't it only your mom and I that have any clue about you two dating?"

"And that's perfectly fine," Piccolo sniped, fingers tightening around his glass. Gohan heard it splinter, a few beads of water trickling out.

"Is it, though?" Videl turned a glare to Piccolo, and Gohan wondered at which point he should intervene. "I mean, it's a pretty big secret to keep, don't you think?"

"So is sex before marriage," Piccolo returned, watching as Videl and Gohan both gulped, shooting each other guilty glances.

Videl looked to Gohan then, watching him carefully. "What do you think?"

"We're not really keeping it a secret," Gohan said slowly, fingers twiddling with his fork. "More like we're just not broadcasting it. I feel like we're not ready yet for everyone to know. And I'm not going to pressure Piccolo into telling."

Videl sighed, and nodded her head. "Okay, fine. Piccolo, you can pass. Just know this—you won't get to see Gohan all wet and wild. Only the girls at the party will." Gohan flushed, glaring full force at Videl, who ignored him.

Piccolo merely blinked, cocking his head to the side. "What kind of incentive was that?" he demanded. "What do I care if other people see Gohan wet?"

Videl and Gohan exchanged a look, before bursting into laughter.

"What? What the hell are you two laughing at!?"

**July 22****nd**

Gohan had a well enough time at the pool party, simply swimming around and talking to the other Z-Fighters. He unfortunately got roped into a game of Chicken between Trunks and Goten, which got so violent that Vegeta had had to come in and break it up.

He and Videl pretty much stayed together aside from that, though, talking to one another. She had of course expressed her concerns once more about him and Piccolo's relationship.

"I just… All of these people are so important to you, right?" Videl prompted, eyes scanning over all of the heroes in front of her. Long ago she'd stopped being star-struck, but sometimes there were still moments when she had to stop, appreciating them all for what they'd done.

"They are," Gohan agreed.

"Then doesn't it seem wrong not to tell them? I mean—I get that you might be scared what they'll think but…" Videl paused, noticing Gohan's look.

"I'm not really worried what they'll think of me," Gohan finally said, shifting under Videl's gaze. "It's what they'll think or say about Piccolo. They're all such good people, and their hearts are always in the right place, but sometimes… Sometimes good people are wrong, Videl."

"Wrong about what?" she questioned. "Hasn't Piccolo settled into the Z-Fighters well enough?"

"Yes?" Gohan said, though the question mark was apparent. "But… He's never going to be like Yamcha, or Tien, or dad… He and Vegeta are almost here on a warranty. I know everyone likes Piccolo, and I know they trust him but—that doesn't change the fact that Piccolo hasn't always been the best guy." He got a rather somber look on his face.

"They've forgiven him, though," Videl argued back. "Vegeta messes up a lot, and he's still around!"

There, Gohan paused, before sighing, "I guess you're right. But until Piccolo's ready, I'm not going to push it."

"I understand," Videl finally said, nodding her head. "I won't press it anymore."

"Thanks," Gohan smiled, pressing his shoulder against hers. "You're the best friend I could ever wish for—even with the help of Shenron," he chuckled.

"Please, Shenron couldn't wish up all of this greatness!" Videl teased, before smirking, and shoving him in the water.

**July 30****th**

Gohan smothered kisses into Piccolo's neck, his knees pressing into the mattress on either side of Piccolo's hips. Beneath him he could feel the Namekian already growing bolder, claws tracing idle patterns around Gohan's body.

"How come you've never been shirtless?" Piccolo suddenly asked, and Gohan withdrew, watching his mentor's face curiously. It didn't seem to have any ulterior meaning—it was simply an open question. Which, he supposed was a valid one, considering that Gohan was currently straddling a shirtless Piccolo. And, whenever they got intimate, that seemed to be how it always went on.

Gohan had simply never questioned it, because he tried to keep routine a thing, so as to keep Piccolo calm.

"I don't know," Gohan replied evenly enough. "But I can take mine off, too." He tugged on the hem of his shirt, pulling it up and over his head. "See?" He smiled down at the Namekian, but he saw that Piccolo's eyes were wandering over his body.

There was a shifting of fabric, and then Piccolo was leaning forward, lips pressing against Gohan's chest. The boy made a small noise, and he felt Piccolo's large hands cradle the back of his spine. He knew that the Namekian was mimicking Gohan's usual pattern, but he found he rather liked it.

Until Piccolo's nose bumped against a nipple, and took interest in it.

"You humans have these," Piccolo observed.

"Mm," Gohan replied, not really capable of anything else.

Then Piccolo licked it, and Gohan felt his knees shake at the sight. That long purple tongue rasped against his skin, and he made a small noise, biting his lips. Rather intrigued, Piccolo licked it once more, feeling Gohan's spine arch into his grasp.

He was suddenly very aware of the fact that his erection was rubbing against Piccolo's chest, and that fact brought down a sense of mortification. And when Piccolo licked once more at that sensitive spot, he rutted his hips forward, cock pressing against Piccolo's solid form.

A groan left his lips, and he saw Piccolo blink in astonishment.

Blushing, Gohan wondered if he should call it quits for the day, and—

Piccolo was unzipping his pants.

He stared down in surprise as Piccolo's fingers grasped Gohan's zipper, and dragged it down.

"Are those boxers?" Piccolo suddenly asked, and Gohan bubbled out a nervous laugh.

"Uh—yeah, yeah they are…. But, hey, um, Piccolo… What… What are you doing?" he asked, voice shaky as he watched the Namekian pull on his pants, tugging them and the boxers down with it. Gohan jerked slightly as the air hit his erection, Piccolo freeing it from its restraints.

The Namekian's eyes crossed, staring directly at it.

Gohan immediately placed his hands over it, staring incredulously down at his partner.

"Wa—Wait Piccolo what—what are you doing?"

Piccolo furrowed his brow, and then made a jerking motion with is hand. Gohan felt rather faint.

"That thing," Piccolo replied evenly, though his eyes stayed focused on Gohan's private region.

"Are you… Are you sure?" Gohan asked, voice rising a few octaves as he stared down at his partner. Piccolo nodded, slowly.

"You've done it to me multiple times," the Namekain continued, voice sounding oddly clinical, as he if was trying to hide how nervous he actually was.

"That I have…" Gohan slowly lowered his hands, gulping as he watched Piccolo's hand grow closer to his cock. He immediately began thinking of wondrous things, of how good it would feel to finally have this with Piccolo, and how fantastic it would be to feel those large hands encompassing him…

"Ow! Shit!" Gohan yelped, and Piccolo withdrew his hand, fingers twitching as he stared up at Gohan. Grimacing, the boy looked to where Piccolo's claws had scraped along him.

Piccolo looked extremely uncomfortable, and now that the mood was out of the window, Gohan wondered why he was still standing there with his dick out. Sighing, he quickly set about pulling back up his boxers, wincing as he sat down on the couch.

"It's fine, Piccolo," he reassured his partner, giving him a rather pained smile. "I promise." He placed one hand over Piccolo's tightening his grip there. "We'll, uh… If you ever want to do it again, we'll work on it, okay?"

The Namekian sat there, and Gohan really couldn't place a name to the expression that he wore.

**July 31****st**

"So why the hell am I clipping your nails?" Videl demanded, not really sure why the hell Piccolo was posted up on her bed right now.

"Don't ask questions!" Piccolo snapped, huffily turning away, though Videl was certain she saw a light haze of purple there. Rubbing at her temples, she took a seat on the bed next to him, before prodding him in the ribs.

"If you don't answer me, then I'm not doing anything, do you understand?" Videl vaguely wondered if he would hit her, but outside of a training environment she really doubted it. So, she decided to press her luck, and obstinately met his gaze.

Finally relenting, Piccolo heaved a sigh, before muttering something under his breath.

Videl blinked. "Didn't quite catch that."

"I said! I accidentally..mmphjh.. Gohans'… mfmfh," Piccolo's brows further drew together, and Videl squinted up her eyes.

"Okay, seriously, if you want me to help you then—,"

"I accidentally scratched Gohan's penis!" Piccolo finally shouted, before clapping a hand to his mouth. He looked to be in physical pain from having said it, and Videl knew her facial expression was not helping.

"Oh my God," she blurted out, mouth agape. "This is just—Oh my God!" She practically screamed that, earning her a rather reproachful look from the Namekian. But Videl was too far gone. She bent double, laughing hysterically as she clutched at her stomach.

"You done?" Piccolo snapped, when the girl eventually collected herself, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Okay—okay but seriously?" Videl guffawed, snorting as she looked to Piccolo.

"Seriously," he grunted.

She stood up then, grabbing her nail clippers out of her drawer, before turning to look at Piccolo. A curious light came to her eyes, and she saw him retract immediately, as if he could sense that she was up to no good.

"But—Piccolo, dear," she simpered, and she could see him getting ready to flee. "How_ever_ did your claws get near such a place?"

Piccolo was trapped, and she could see it from the look in his eyes. Her smirk could kill a man, she was certain, and Piccolo was suffering from it.

She saw him stop, head bowing slightly, and his fangs ground sharply together.

"Shit."

**Funnily enough - it was smutty scenes like this that made me want to start writing this fic in particular. Because Piccolo's a walking death machine when it comes to his body, so would you really want that near your junk?**

**Let me know what you think, and thanks for all your kind words so far!**


	16. SY, August

**To answer some reviews:**

**Jagoria: I'm glad you're enjoying this, and it is very hard to find Piccohan fics sometimes. I give the Apples author major props though, because they actually have a plot line where mine is mindless fluff-so the time that they take I'm sure is well spent! (and I understand the struggle of updates, though-I'm still waiting for Mafia Z to update - that ish right there is so good, but I'm biased with my love of AUs.)**

**Chikyu: I agree that Piccolo being in romantic relationship is out of character - but I still enjoy it! (Aside from him being with Gohan, I do have a soft spot for him being with Chi Chi as well) And yes, I ran into the Piccolo sex god problem quite often at first - until I started digging deeper to finally find the few good fics. It doesn't help that Piccohan is a hard pairing to find anyways - especially if you're like me and refuse to read under aged Gohan. Also, thank-you for all that you've said, as this fic is basically practice for me to get used to handling the characters, so reader's feedback is very important!**

**And now for the chapter; fair warning - the graphic scenes continue.**

**August 1****st**

Gohan awoke early, just to find Piccolo sitting in the living room. The Namekian made a vague motion towards the kitchen, earning a smile from the boy as he took his cue to go and get breakfast. Humming happily, he piled his plate up high, and then headed towards the coffee table. Seating himself on the carpet, he gave a big smile up to his partner.

Piccolo grunted in response, shooting Gohan a small smile. His focus remained on the novel clasped in his hands though, when Gohan noticed something strange.

"Piccolo…?" His voice rose up at the end, as he cocked his head to the side. "Did you clip your nails?"

"Videl did," Piccolo replied, though he ducked his head, and seemed unable to meet Gohan's gaze.

"Why did you…." Gohan's voice trailed off, and he swallowed, roughly.

And Piccolo didn't have to answer him.

**August 15****th**

Gohan's head pressed back into the pillow as he bit his lip, Piccolo's tongue swirling against his neck. He could feel the Namekian's hand spread flat against his abdomen, before sliding lower, fingers inching past the waistband of his pajama bottoms.

A rather inhuman noise escaped his mouth as Piccolo grasped his cock, those large fingers wrapping around his girth, pumping at the shaft. His voice quavered in the night air as he jerked his hips up, pressing further into Piccolo's hand.

"You've gotten a lot—ah—better at this, y'know," Gohan smiled, to which Piccolo gave him a glare.

"Are you patronizing me?" Piccolo demanded, hand stilling upon the boy's member.

"Wha—no!" Gohan sat up as the Namekian got up in a huff, moving to the other side of the bed. "Aw, c'mon, Piccolo! Don't be like that!"

**August 17****th**

Chi Chi sipped at her tea, eyeing the Namekian seated at her kitchen table rather closely. He was beginning to feel uncomfortable underneath her inscrutable gaze. In his mind she would forever be likened to a tigress.

"What?" He finally demanded, unable to take the silence any more.

She, however, seemed more than content in it, and simply hummed into her cup.

"Nothing. Just thinking about you and Gohan's wedding." Here she tilted her head a bit, setting down her cup in favor of tapping her chin. "I'm assuming you don't have any family that you're interested in inviting?"

He stared at her, dumbfounded. "No. I don't have any family I'd like to bring." Then he paused, remembering that he was supposed to be arguing the junction even happening. "And there's no wedding happening!"

Chi Chi ignored him, and continued on. "I guess it isn't necessary to have a traditional wedding anyways, is it?"

"It's not necessary to have one at all!"

For once she showed some irritation, her eyebrow giving a minute twitch. "I want to see Gohan married, with a successful job, and a few grandchildren. Is that too much to ask?" Her voice was sickeningly sweet, in the way that made Piccolo's spine crawl, and actually bade him to stop and think before he spoke again.

He floundered for a small moment, before he released a frustrated groan, and allowed Chi Chi to continue her talking.

**August 18****th**

Piccolo sat on the rim of the Lookout, Dende beside him. The small Namekian had been rather happy to see him, as Piccolo had not been by as much. He found himself staying with Gohan most nights, actually sleeping with the boy. They'd fallen into a familiar rut, and Piccolo couldn't even say he was unhappy with the situation.

There was something about it that actually brought peace to him. At night if they weren't intimate, then Gohan would simply crawl into bed, curling himself against Piccolo and holding him there. The Namekian was sometimes at a loss to do with his hands, whilst the boy slept.

He smiled, just slightly, as he thought of all those messy black spikes tickling his chin.

"You look happy," Dende said suddenly, drawing Piccolo from his reverie. He feigned disgruntlement, but the Guardian easily bypassed this, well used to the display. "It's good. To see you this way," he clarified, to which Piccolo turned his head once more.

Deep inside he could feel the part of him that was Nail, responding pleasantly to the Guardian. While Piccolo wouldn't necessarily voice it, he wondered if Dende could feel Nail's pride and approval to the station that he'd risen. Kami also would often express his joy for the boy that had succeeded him.

Instead of voicing what the two had to say, however, he rose from his seat, and place one large hand upon Dende's head. The Guardian made a small noise, before tilting his head back, looking to Piccolo with large eyes. Then the boy smiled.

**August 20****th**

"School starts back soon," Gohan muttered, his head was against Piccolo's bare chest, and he shifted against his partner's body. "Though—I should be graduating." The Namekian looked down at him, obviously not understanding the implications. "I'll get my degree," Gohan said, "and Bulma's already got a job lined up for me—working in one of their labs."

Piccolo nodded. He had never possessed a job, and thus didn't need to know what all they entailed. He knew that Gohan did things for school—such as papers, experiments, and the like. But he didn't really ask questions about them, nor did Gohan invite him to.

There were obviously some aspects of life where the two conjoined, and others where there would never be a cross-point.

"I'll have one of my mother's wishes checked off, at least," Gohan smiled, rising up slowly, his hand dragging across Piccolo's ribcage. The boy had a consistent need to touch, and Piccolo smiled down at the wandering hand. It was one of the things that Piccolo had actually come to like.

He sobered slightly, though, as he recalled the checklist. "Yes, well. It's the other two that are worrying me."

"Marriage and babies?" Gohan chuckled, his head lolling against his shoulder as he peered down at Piccolo. He was moving then, and Piccolo felt the boy's thighs brush against his own, and soon the demi-Saiyan was atop him, backside resting against Piccolo's legs. His hands remained on Piccolo's torso.

"I don't understand the point of marriage," Piccolo grumbled. His attempt to appear angry was losing its affect, however, as Gohan's hands continued touching him, and he found himself softening under the boy's grazes.

Gohan shrugged, bending down to kiss Piccolo on the lips.

"For humans, I suppose, it's a bigger deal." Gohan brushed his nose against Piccolo's. "It symbolizes that you're together—forever."

"I know for a fact that human marriage does not last forever," Piccolo argued, eyes narrowing at he stared into Gohan's face. In fact Piccolo had read novels where divorce had happened—yet, even in those books, marriage had such a heavy emphasis. Vaguely, he wondered if Gohan was as focused on it as some of those protagonists were.

"You're right," Gohan acquiesced, shrugging his shoulders. "Sometimes people don't work out. But, you're missing the point that it's symbolic. It's giving yourself to someone, both physically and mentally. Financially, too. The duo are legally bound from that point on—for better or for worse."

Piccolo hummed thoughtfully at that. "I suppose. But," he rose up, then, one large hand steadying itself on Gohan's hip. He was exceptionally close to the boy's face, and he could feel the demi-Saiyan wanting to move in for a kiss. "Have I not proven time and again that I am here?"

Gohan blinked, shifting in Piccolo's lap. "Well—of course, Piccolo."

"Then what is the point of marriage?"

"It's not that big of a deal to me," Gohan said, his arms moving around Piccolo's neck. "I was only answering your question."

Piccolo grunted, his other hand moving to Gohan's hair, fingers twining in the dark locks. He could feel Gohan make a small noise of approval, before drawing their lips together again. Hands pressed against Piccolo's chest, and the Namekian found himself hitting the pillows, Gohan wanting better access to his partner.

**August 25****th**

"Picc_olo_," Gohan whined, watching his partner cooking, "school starts back tomorrow!"

"I am aware—you've been mentioning it as much as possible," Piccolo gritted out, turning to glare over his shoulder. "But what exactly would you have me do about it?"

"I don't know," Gohan pouted, fingers drumming against his jaw line.

"Then stuff it."

Huffing, Gohan leaned his elbows against the table, pulling out his phone to text Videl. She was apparently out on a date, and kept sending Gohan pictures of the girl. Shaking his head at his friend's antics, he decided not to bog her down with worries about the new school year.

He'd leave her to her fun. Though, part of him wished he could be just as crude and awful as she had been when he'd been attempting to court Piccolo. He knew, though, that he could never be as creative as Videl was, and instead sent her a rather supportive message.

"Food's ready," Piccolo said, drawing Gohan from his phone. He quickly pocketed it, and made his plate, joining his partner at the table. The Namekian was seated there, calmly drinking his water as Gohan dug into several plates, only satisfied when every bit that Piccolo had made was gone.

"It's amazing we ever have any food in here," Piccolo grumbled, earning him an easy laugh from Gohan, who rubbed at the back of his head.

"I try to keep an eye on the food level," the boy chuckled, "though it's not always easy."

Piccolo hummed in response, taking another sip of his water. Gohan watched him, enjoying the way the Namekian swallowed, throat bobbing from the movement. Scooting his chair a little closer to Piccolo's, Gohan slid one hand out, fingers twitching against the Namekian's thigh.

His partner gave him one curious glance down, before slowly arching his brow ridge.

"Did you need something?" Piccolo asked, though the corner of his mouth looked suspiciously like it was smirking.

"Nope," Gohan replied, confidence a little bolstered by that little smile Piccolo was giving him. He just continued to let his fingers rub against the inseam of the Namekian's britches.

"Your actions aren't matching your words," Piccolo said.

"I certainly have no idea what you're talking about, Piccolo!" Gohan laughed, though his chair certainly was closer, and his fingers had now brushed against the crotch of Piccolo's pants.

The Namekian made a small noise, glass of water abandoned. Gohan felt the Namekian's thighs clench around his hand, and he smiled. Piccolo began to stand, but Gohan protested, rising from his chair and settling the alien back down.

"Gohan," Piccolo grumbled, though he was distracted by the boy's unruly hair tickling his chin, and Gohan's lips pressing against his own. Attempting to keep Piccolo's mind away from what was happening, the boy let his hands wander down to the Namekian's hips, tugging lightly at his britches, slowly growing closer to the buttons.

Piccolo huffed, catching Gohan's wrists.

"Nice try, kid," the alien chuckled, pulling at a pouting Gohan's hands.

"Heh, c'mon Piccolo," he prompted, tilting his head to the side. "What's the matter?"

"The fact that you are trying to get intimate in the kitchen," Piccolo replied, pushing upwards, causing the boy to stumble into his own chair, before the Namekian released him. "Where I cook—and where you eat, I might add."

"I really don't see anything wrong with that!" Gohan laughed, hands once again at Piccolo's thighs, working his way to the Namekian's backside.

"That's because you're disgusting."

Gohan hummed thoughtfully, then smiled up at Piccolo. "I was going to show you what oral was, though…"

The Namekian tilted his head, staring down at his partner. He looked truly thoughtful, until Gohan's hands firmly squeezed at his backside, which earned Gohan a thump to the head.

"Yeesh," the boy groaned, rubbing at the back of his skull.

"The hell were you doing?" Piccolo huffed, to which Gohan threw him a sullen glance.

"Well I've touched your genitals—multiple times I might add—so I didn't think it was a big deal to touch your butt."

"You caught me off-guard," Piccolo replied, shrugging his shoulders. Gohan was rather pleased, however, at Piccolo's increased comfort with these exchanges. He may have received a concussion, but it was certainly leaps and bounds ahead of where they had been before.

"Well, now that you're _on_ guard," Gohan lifted his brows, only to receive a rather bland look in return, "I'd like a farewell present—having to return to slaving away after my degree!"

Piccolo snorted, but bent at the waist, kissing Gohan.

"Fine, kid. Why the hell not? Everything else you've shown me has worked out for the best." Gohan felt a little thrill at that, and he was unable to hide his rather exuberant grin. "Wipe that stupid smirk off your face," Piccolo ordered, "and tell me what the hell I'm doing."

"What you're—oh!" Gohan blinked, tilting his head to the side. Honestly this whole time he'd been envisioning him performing on Piccolo. He'd been certain that the Namekian wouldn't want to be the guinea pig into this foray.

"Do you have a complaint?" Piccolo demanded, growing increasingly more irritable the more the moment prolonged. Gohan quickly shook his head, though, and motioned for Piccolo to come down to the floor. He could see the alien's facial expressions turn rather sour as his knees touched down on the tile.

Gohan felt a quavering grin make its way across his face as he spread his legs just a bit wider, and he wet his lips, trying to calm himself from such an erotic sight.

"Okay… Um… First uh…" Gohan was stuttering, and he could see Piccolo eyeing him, obviously waiting for the penultimate moment when the boy would actually divulge what he was supposed to be saying. Instead, he vaguely motioned at his crotch, shrugging his shoulders. It was much easier to be confident when he was doing the actions—it was less easy when he had to instruct someone.

"Gee, kid, could've drawn me a map with all the explaining you just did," Piccolo said dryly, and Gohan huffed at that. Honestly, didn't the Namekian understand just how trying it was to have the object of your fantasies kneeling down in front of you like that?

Well… Perhaps not.

"Just… Do the normal stuff, okay? Until I say so." Gohan found that this would perhaps be easier. Using the mood as a catalyst, jolting him into explaining things to Piccolo. The Namekian nodded, though, and began his stilted touches, wandering over Gohan.

Soon Piccolo had pulled off the boy's shirt, and his mouth was working against the boy's abdomen, and his teeth scraped roughly against Gohan's stomach. The boy hissed, but found that he didn't really mind the sensation. He gave Piccolo a weak smile, when the alien cast him a cautious glance.

Gohan could already feel his cock hardening, the uncomfortable sensation of it pressing against his zipper present. His breath hitched as Piccolo's chest brushed against his erection, finally garnering the attention of the Namekian.

Piccolo leaned back, watching Gohan.

"You… You're going to take it out and uh… P-Put it in your mouth," Gohan fumbled, fingers fidgeting against the seat of the chair. He could see Piccolo's face wrinkling up, obviously unsure now. Biting his lip, Gohan watched, waiting to see how the alien would proceed.

His answer came when Piccolo's fingers began unbuttoning the demi-Saiyan's jeans, the sound of the zipper incredibly loud in the still apartment. Sucking in a deep breath, he felt Piccolo's fingers curl around his cock, drawing it out.

"Ohhh," Gohan whimpered, voice trembling. Piccolo cast his eyes up, before tentatively poking his tongue out. "Wait!" the boy placed his hands on the sides of Piccolo's face, nervous tension wracking his body. "Are you… Are you sure about this…?"

Piccolo grumbled something, before nodding his head. "I'm about to lick where you humans pee from," the Namekian muttered, glaring up at Gohan, "I should certainly hope that I'm all right with my choices."

"Right," Gohan gave a nervous laugh, and leaned back. He knew his cheeks were flushed, and he felt a mess, pants undone and his legs spread wide. But then Piccolo's tongue was out once again, long and purple, as it flickered against the head of Gohan's cock.

He was pretty sure he hissed a word that would surely get his mouth washed out with soap but—well, it _had _been a long time since anyone had put their tongue there. That, and it was _Piccolo_ for goodness' sake. His former mentor was crouched there, licking at his cock like some sort of new candy he couldn't figure out the taste of.

Piccolo's hands braced themselves against Gohan's thighs, and the boy spread his legs more, as the Namekian placed a hesitant kiss to the tip. He resisted a strong urge to grab Piccolo's head, and instead bit his fingernails against the wood of the chair. Something that sounded suspiciously like wood splintering was heard, but he ignored it.

"It tastes strange," Piccolo muttered, though he didn't look displeased. He watching Gohan for reactions, but the boy didn't know what to tell him. For the most part, the alien could damn well breath on him long enough and he'd probably cum.

Piccolo's tongue lapped out again, curling around the shaft, as the Namekian drew it closer to his lips. Groaning, Gohan bucked his hips upwards, grimacing as he felt the head brush against Piccolo's cheek. Inwardly he cursed himself, not wanting to frighten Piccolo with his haste.

The Namekian said nothing, though, and merely opened his mouth wide, lips stretching as he took Gohan into his mouth.

"_Fuck_," Gohan groaned, one of his hands going to his shaft, keeping it steady as Piccolo experimented. Vaguely, he recalled that he'd had a dream like this once, but he couldn't remember the details as reality quickly obliterated it from existence.

He was fighting to keep his hips still, as the last thing he wanted to do was thrust into his partner's mouth. Well—he _wanted _to do just that, he just didn't want the consequences.

Gohan was startled from his thoughts as a fang scraped against him, and he hissed in response, wiggling in a small attempt to distance himself from those teeth. Piccolo felt his discomfort, and hummed something at the back of his throat.

Gohan found himself rather faint from the fact that he couldn't hear Piccolo's words over the cock in his mouth. Though the Namekian was currently at a standstill, and seemed to be waiting for Gohan to say something.

The boy coughed, his free hand covering his mouth as he stared down at his lover.

"You could uh—," he swallowed, throat exceptionally dry, "you could bob your head." He bit his lip, as Piccolo dipped in, obliging Gohan's words. The demi-Saiyan felt every muscle in his body clench as the Namekian's stunted claws dug into his legs, and Gohan's cock was lodged more firmly in his mouth.

The boy tilted his head back, only wincing minimally whenever one of Piccolo's errant fangs would scrape against him. The Namekian was doing his best to avoid these incidents, and Gohan found he was now ever-grateful for the length of his partner's tongue…

While his cock was slipping past those plump lips, Piccolo's tongue was still at work—and Gohan couldn't care less if it was all a little clumsy. It was simply the fact that every time he looked down, he could see Piccolo, diving in ever closer to his pubic area.

Despite his earlier attempts, Gohan found his hands resting atop Piccolo's head, fingers playing the alien's antennae. He felt Piccolo groan around his cock, and the sensation was fantastic. Fingers still occupied, Gohan bucked up, earning him a muffled noise from Piccolo.

Guiltily, Gohan quickly let go, allowing the Namekian to pull up. Still mesmerized, he watched Piccolo's mouth release every inch of his cock, drool still rolling down his chin as he stared up at Gohan.

"Hey, kid," Piccolo voice was a little hoarse, and he met Gohan's smoldering gaze, "everything okay?"

Gohan was panting, and instead of answering, he rose from his seat, crashing his lips down against the alien's, and pushing his partner back against the floor. He heard Piccolo made a small noise of complaint as his shoulder clipped one of the table's legs, but he didn't make much head way as Gohan's mouth was covering his.

The boy was vaguely aware that he should feel some bit of shame—he was well aware by now that his cock was still out, and was rubbing against Piccolo's stomach where the shirt had ridden up. He found he didn't care quite so much, however, when his fingers stayed twined in Piccolo's antennae, earning a few gratifying noises from the form below him.

"You have no idea how good you look," Gohan rumbled, voice hot and heavy against Piccolo's ear. Below him, he could see the Namekian growing more flustered at the words then anything, which only fueled Gohan's need to say such flowery things.

He was distracted, though, by a knock at the door.

Squinting up his eyes, he wondered who the hell would be knocking—Videl? No. She was on her date. And plus, no offense to his friend, but Gohan really wasn't willing to take his hands off of Piccolo right now for her. There wasn't really anyone he could think of that would make him end this moment prematurely.

"Gohan!"

He froze.

Ok, there was one person. Beneath him, he could feel Piccolo stiffen as well, and the two shared one long, horrified look.

"I'm so dead," Gohan finally squeaked, before another bout of knocking actually roused him to jump to action. He shot up, smacking his head roughly on the table. Wincing, he crawled out, hurriedly stuffing his dick back in his pants as he wildly sought out his discarded shirt.

Beside him, he could see an incredulous Piccolo staring dismally down at his clothes—where Gohan could easily see that he hadn't been the only one turned on—before magicking himself into his gi. With that Gohan managed to find his shirt, dragging it on over his form.

Piccolo was picking himself up, before Gohan was pushing at his back.

"Hide!" Gohan hissed, and Piccolo nodded, rushing off to a farther part of the apartment. Gohan set about straightening the chairs, before a disgruntled Piccolo reappeared.

"Why the hell would I hide from your mother?" Piccolo demanded, crossing his arms. "She knows I live here!"

Gohan let out a nervous laugh, rubbing at the back of his head. "Oh… Yeah…" He did pause, momentarily, to register what the Namekian had just said. '_She knows I live here…_'

Not right now!

He rushed to the door, before Piccolo stopped him, swiping at his mouth.

"Drool," Piccolo replied, and rushed to the couch, attempting to appear calm as Gohan opened the door. He was met with Chi Chi's fist, ready to slam against the door once more.

She blinked, staring at her hand that was now shoved against her son's nose.

"Oh! Dear… It's just, you took so long to answer the door…" Chi Chi paused, before cradling his chin. "Are you okay? You look so flushed…"

"I'm fine, mom," Gohan laughed, aware that his voice was incredibly higher than normal, and was probably the least convincing he'd ever sounded. She seemed to notice this, and immediately narrowed her eyes, stepping further into the living room.

He didn't try to block her, knowing full and well that he couldn't dream of stopping his mother if she had her heart set on entering the building. Instead, he gave a noisy gulp, and cast a cautious glance to Piccolo, who was aptly ignoring the two.

Chi Chi huffed, eyes scanning the room. Apparently finding nothing amiss, she turned to Gohan.

"Are you on drugs?" she suddenly demanded, earning a spluttered response from him, and what sounded suspiciously like a cough from Piccolo. "I'm serious, young man!"

"I'm not doing drugs, mom!" he quickly said, throwing up placating hands.

Her hip jutted out as she folded her arms. "And you and Piccolo haven't been doing anything?"

"No!" he said, a bit too quickly. He saw her eyes narrow. "Well—we did have a little tiny spar… Y'know, before I went back to school." He could've sworn he heard Piccolo snort.

Chi Chi stayed silent for a small moment, before heaving a heavy sigh. "You really are your father's son!" She lightly smacked his arm. "Don't go sparring in the house! You two can fly—and it's a nice day out. I'm sure you could find a better place!" She shook her head, looking entirely exasperated.

"Yes ma'am," Gohan muttered, attempting to look humble as he just silently sent up a prayer of thanks to—well, anyone, really. "Ah, so, why are you here?"

"Bulma invited me on a day out," Chi Chi replied, pointing outside, where he could see the blue-haired heiress in her red convertible, sunglasses perched atop her head. She waved hello to him as he poked his head out. "I wanted to stop by and see the new apartment!"

"Well, it's not much," he gave a nervous chuckle, rubbing at the back of his head. His adrenaline was still pumping, and he couldn't quite calm down. It felt like he'd just come from a battle—and he wasn't really enjoying it. He was still too nervous that his mother would somehow piece together that Gohan had been getting head moments before she'd arrived.

"I like it," Chi Chi smiled, though she cast a withering glance to all of the posters plastered up everywhere, and the games and consoles which spilled over the entertainment center. "I'm glad to see you and Piccolo settling in here."

Piccolo flicked his ears in acknowledgement, but kept his mouth shut. Gohan was rather thankful of his silence at this moment.

"All right, dear, Bulma's waiting for me," Chi Chi stood on tip toe, pressing a kiss to Gohan's cheek. "I love you," she cast a glance to Piccolo, "and a good day to my future son in law."

She laughed as the tips of Piccolo's ears turned purple, and he shot a ferocious glare over his shoulder at her. Gohan walked her out, before returning to the apartment once more, shutting the door firmly behind him, and blowing out a relieved sigh.

"I told you the kitchen wasn't the best place."

**August 30****th**

Gohan lay out on the carpet, hand in Piccolo's as they stared up at the ceiling. While the alien sat there, he again wondered how he kept finding himself in these situations. Surely he should feel some sort of shame at the fact that he—the consummation of such strong beings—had deemed to bend to his knees and… Oh what the hell had Gohan called it, 'sucked him off'? Piccolo wasn't the best at terminology as of yet.

Yet he couldn't bring himself to truly mind—not really. Especially not at moments like this where Gohan was holding his hand, and he could feel the boy attempting to be sneaky. For some reason Gohan believed that if he moved one inch at a time, that Piccolo couldn't notice his proximity.

Sighing, he rolled onto his side, grabbing Gohan by the hip, and dragging the boy over to him. Gohan made a sharp noise as his head hit Piccolo's ribcage, and the Namekian was holding him there, so close to him. He sat there, fingers draped across Gohan's hips, and stared up at those fake stars that he was so insistent on keeping up.

Those plastic stars that never seemed to fade or move—a constant in this hectic life, so unlike real stars that burned out. Pausing, his gaze slowly slid to Gohan's form, noticing that the boy's eyes were cast upwards as well.

Piccolo furrowed his brow, as he stared down at Gohan. Surely he'd have a longer life-span than most, what with the Saiyan in him. Yet how much extra time did that afford him, really? How much time was it compared to a Namekian's life. That brought about the question of—how long would Piccolo exist after Gohan had burned out?

He flexed his fingers tighter against Gohan, as if attempting to hold him closer—almost as if he could fuse with him as he had done Nail and Kami. His teeth gritted, and he noticed Gohan's dark eyes watching him, cautious.

"Piccolo…?" Gohan's voice was soft. Leave it to the boy to know when something was bothering him.

Piccolo groaned, turning away from the boy. This deep, philosophical thinking—it wasn't really his thing. He wasn't so used to facing reality, genuflecting on the ifs, the whats, and the whens. But he couldn't shake the image of Gohan—a shining star burning bright.

As Piccolo, the plastic star, lay taped to the same ceiling for eternity, never budging.

"Hey?" Gohan prompted, pushing himself up, fingers curling around Piccolo's jaw. "How about we go to bed? And maybe you can actually sleep?"

Piccolo muttered something—he assumed it was consent, as soon he was following behind the boy—but he couldn't shake the question.

For how long would Gohan burn?

**I'm basing Gohan's aging process on the fact that he doesn't look significantly older when you head into GT (and while it's not canon, Toriyama did do the character designs so, I'm rolling with that).**

**Anyways, please let me know what you think!**


	17. SY, September and October

**Sorry for the delay on this chapter! We were actually on a family vacation in Louisiana-down in New Iberia. We also spent some time in Baton Rouge. So unfortunately I didn't have much time for writing! I do apologize for how long it took!**

**September 2****nd**

Piccolo could feel Gohan's gaze resting on the back of his neck, and he felt distinctly uncomfortable at the prolonged existence of it. He grimaced, and turned onto his side, shoulder pressing into the mattress as he stared at Gohan.

"The other day…" Gohan's voice was quiet in the dark bedroom, and Piccolo wondered what the hell was going on. "You said that you—well—that you lived here." He heard the boy clear his throat, to which Piccolo stiffened immediately.

He certainly did recall saying something of the variety, but he'd also more or less just said it in the moment. Though, in his particular experiences with the humans, they seemed to think that what you said in a rush, meant exactly what you truly felt.

Piccolo couldn't quite decide whether or not he agreed with such concepts, but in this particular case…

"I do spend more time here than anywhere else," Piccolo finally relented, and that was entirely true. While he occasionally visited the Lookout—that's exactly what it felt like. A visit. Despite Kami's particular preference to the floating mass, Piccolo himself had no further attachments to it.

His days were now spent in the presence of Gohan.

"That's true." Gohan seemed to understand that Piccolo wasn't the best at discussing these things, and instead was relying on scooting closer to Piccolo. He could feel the younger man's fingertips against his waist, and the way Gohan curled in upon Piccolo.

Hair brushed against his chin, and Piccolo smiled in the dark room.

**September 5****th**

"Piccolo!" Gohan called, flopping down on the couch. The Namekian blinked, startled, as Gohan's arm was flung around his shoulders. He gave his partner a beaming smile, as he drew his phone from his pocket. He saw Piccolo give the item a disparaging glance, furrowing his brow.

However, Gohan didn't explain, and merely opened his camera app, and snapped a quick picture of the two. His smile was large and beaming, whereas Piccolo was staring in a disconcerted manner at the piece of technology.

Releasing his partner, Gohan smiled favorably down at the picture.

"Why do you do that?" Piccolo grumbled, jabbing a finger at the phone.

Gohan chuckled. "Because I like how you look—and pictures help with that." He wagged his phone towards his partner, and saw that Piccolo was looking thoroughly confused.

**September 6****th**

Gohan found himself squinting at the board at school, and was thoroughly confused by this. He seemed to have trouble reading the letters—and even the video seemed a bit fuzzy. Shaking his head, he merely squinted up his eyes, and continued writing down notes.

**September 12****th**

A nightmare—certainly, that's what it was. When he awoke, covered in cold sweat, though, Gohan couldn't seem to remember what it was about. There were vague images that accompanied the nightmare, yet no definitive memory. Hazy pictures swam across his vision, and he was suddenly, violently aware of the fact that in his dream Piccolo had died.

He sobbed, then, uncontrollably loud, tears pouring hot and fresh from his eyes. Had it been a memory—of all those years ago, when the Saiyans had killed his mentor? Or had it been something else entirely? All he could remember was the sight of a dying Piccolo, and he couldn't stop his chest heaving.

Suddenly there were arms around him, warmth encompassing him as Gohan fell back into an expansive chest. His whole body was shaking as he lay there, in the dark, and heard a comforting rumble. Sucking in a deep, shuddering breath, he clutched desperately at muscled forearms, and allowed himself to be drawn back to the bed.

**September 30****th**

"I don't want to write papers anymore," Gohan groaned, pressing his fingers against his temples. He'd seated himself at the kitchen, and was attempting to work on his research paper, books piles up all around him. For the past week he'd been garnering sources, and attempting to prepare the outline—yet it wasn't coming together now that he was here.

"Relax, kid," Piccolo grumbled, and Gohan could only take it for some weird attempt at being sociable. The Namekian had entered the kitchen, and placed his empty cup on the counter, turning to give Gohan a rather pensive look.

Gohan tilted his head, watching as his partner strode forward, placed a hand on his shoulder, and pressed their lips together. Making a sharp noise of surprise, Gohan leaned in to the kiss, hands immediately latching onto Piccolo's waist as he enjoyed the sensation of his partner.

"Finish your paper," Piccolo deadpanned, pulling back from the kiss. Gohan made a noise of distress as his partner headed out of the kitchen. "I'll be in the bedroom."

And suddenly Gohan was certain that he could write five papers—if only it meant getting back to Piccolo.

**October 2****nd**

"I'll never get used to this," Piccolo grumbled, fingernails biting in the comforter, as Gohan gave him a large smile from between his legs. The boy was pressing his hands against Piccolo's thighs, spreading bare legs apart as he dipped in, licking the female organ.

Gohan loved the taste of it, tongue rolling against the plated flesh, feeling Piccolo trembling from his touch. He especially loved it when Piccolo finally caved, hand clenching itself within Gohan's hair, desperately pulling the boy forward.

His fingers wrapped around the Namekian's cock as he eagerly continued his exploration. A few pumps and Piccolo was groaning, rocking against Gohan's every touch.

"Damn kid," Piccolo muttered, though it was a little lack luster.

Gohan merely grinned, and lifted his head up, matching gazes with the Namekian.

"Not my fault you taste good, Piccolo," Gohan chuckled.

**October 5****th**

"Wanna play a fighting game with me?" Gohan enthused, clutching at his controller. "I just bought it—and I'm super excited!" He was practically bouncing on his toes, eyes alight with joy. Piccolo tilted his head, eying the boy over his novel.

"So… Instead of actually fighting, you want to play a video game about it?" Piccolo was often baffled by some of the things that Gohan did but this was truly a new high. He furrowed his brow, staring at the boy, who in return gave him that sheepish grin.

Piccolo was beginning to wonder what it would feel like not to see that every day.

"Well, it's not quite like the fighting we do," Gohan explained, thumb bumping against the stick as he shifted his feet. "There's combos—it's a different kind of strategy. Sometimes, I find this a little harder!" The boy laughed then, and Piccolo could feel his resolve crumbling.

It was inevitable at this point. That he would give in to Gohan's whims was certainly to be expected by now. While he wished he could say he didn't enjoy it, he really didn't mind Gohan dragging him into all of these activities.

Sighing, Piccolo rose from the couch, cracking his knuckles as his book slid to the cushion. He could see Gohan staring up at him that raptured look spreading across his face every time he got his way. The Namekian snorted down at his young partner, before taking a seat on the floor next to the boy.

"I played that damn Gauntlet game with you—can't you be happy with that?" Piccolo griped, obviously bluffing. From the enormous grin Gohan was giving him, the boy knew.

"Piccolo—you know I'm never satisfied!" Then he was laughing, that loud and happy way he managed. Despite himself, Piccolo could actually feel the corners of his mouth softening into a smile, and suddenly Gohan was kissing him, arms around his neck.

Piccolo moved his hand to Gohan's ribs, claws dragging down the boy's torso.

It was moments like these… These stupid moments that Piccolo had never considered ever existing prior to his moment. Before Gohan, before any of this… There had only been thoughts of lonely wastelands and a consistent need to train—to grow stronger, to become better than Son Goku.

And now here he was making out with his rival's son.

And he decided he couldn't have been happier.

**October 8****th**

Gohan rolled over, purposely flailing his limbs on top of Piccolo. He heard the Namekian grunt, and laughed, before Piccolo was shoving at him. Not to be deterred, Gohan pushed against the mattress, his whole entire body rolling on top of his partner.

Piccolo groaned. "Don't you have school in the morning?" the alien demanded, prodding sharply at Gohan's ribs. Gohan articulately responded with what was just a vague, low groaning, and focused more on aligning his body better with Piccolo's. His torso pressed to the Namekian's, and his legs swung haphazardly over the longer pair beneath him.

He felt his partner heave a big puff of air, before prodding once more.

"I don't talk to hear myself, kid," Piccolo grunted, to which Gohan readily shook his head. He was more interested in playing right now—after all, his last year of school was stressful! Unfortunately, Piccolo wasn't willing to let him cuddle up and act an idiot.

Instead, the alien pushed at Gohan, rising above the boy. Gohan let out a small _oof!_ as his back hit the mattress, and Piccolo was above him, palms pressing into the bed at either side of Gohan's head. His legs rolled to the side, and he bit his lip as he looked up.

Piccolo was there, and Gohan could feel his blood pumping a little faster. The Namekian's broad chest was revealed by the low-cut gi, and his body was so pressing and strong above him. There was also the fact that if Gohan shifted just right, he was certain he could wrap his legs around Piccolo's hips, and that thought was also enticing.

He paused, wrinkling his nose, wondering at that. After all, he'd never considered Piccolo taking any sort of lead when it came to their sexual activities. His dwelling on this matter wasn't long lived, however, as Piccolo snapped his fingers in front of Gohan's face, and the boy was drawn from his thoughts to face a rather fiery Namekian glaring down at him.

"Ready to pay attention now?" Piccolo demanded.

Gohan flushed, shrugging his shoulders. He purposefully looked away. He was quite certain that being pinned down like this was doing something funny to his head.

"Going to tell me why you're not asleep yet?" The Namekian finally demanded, leaning closer, and Gohan felt his heart pound in his throat. It was ridiculous—it was like Gohan hadn't already confessed his love and was living with his partner.

"Just couldn't sleep," Gohan admitted, though, biting at his lip. Which was true enough. He'd just been unable to sleep, and had decided that bothering Piccolo was the best way to handle the situation. Perhaps he'd been wrong, because now he was in this predicament.

"And you decided to flail against me?" Piccolo arched his brow, and Gohan actually did laugh at how dry Piccolo made the whole ordeal sound. He nodded, though, and kept right on laughing until Piccolo snatched up Gohan's wrists, and pinned them down against the bed.

"Um," Gohan's voice was weak, pathetic, a frail ghost of what it would normally be. There was no strength in it at all—nor in him just as a general rule of thumb.

"You're going to sit here," Piccolo commanded, looking haughtily down at Gohan, "until you sleep then. I'm not going to have you bothering me all night because of this."

Gohan flushed, and looked between their bodies, wondering just how long it would be in this position before his erection showed. Surely he could last until he was asleep, and then blame it on that? That was if he could get to sleep, after all. Coupled with the fact that he'd been unable to sleep in the first place, and now he had his partner on top of him—Gohan cursed whoever made Piccolo so attractive to him. After all, what biological purpose did it serve to have an attractive Namekian?

So really, Gohan was quite ready to blame the universe for his problems—and possibly the Demon King Piccolo for spawning his son.

And he could still feel Piccolo's burning gaze on him.

He sighed, loud and heavy, and clenched his eyes shut. He could at least try.

But it was no use. Gohan lay there for at least ten minutes—he was sure it had to be at least that much—and nothing changed, except for him tightening his eyes even more as he was fully aware of the sight that would greet him if he opened them.

"Kid, are you going to sleep sometime tonight?" Piccolo demanded, and Gohan opened his eyes, to openly shrug up at his partner.

"I'm just struggling…" he paused, and decided to test his luck. "Though… Maybe if I got a little energy out, I'd be more sleepy?" Something seemed to flicker in Piccolo's eyes, and the Namekian gave a curt nod.

"I understand. So where should we spar?" Piccolo seemed to already be preparing for a battle, and Gohan groaned, tilting his head back. Of course Piccolo would think of sparring at two in the morning. Stifling complaints, Gohan shook his head.

"Not quite what I had in mind," the boy replied.

Piccolo tilted his head. "Then?"

Gohan sighed, and leaned upwards, wrists still trapped by Piccolo's weight as he pressed a kiss to the Namekian's neck. He heard Piccolo make a strangled noise, and then Gohan leaned back, meeting his partner's gaze once more.

"Oh."

"Mmhm," Gohan hummed, watching as Piccolo flushed that gorgeous purple.

"Indeed."

"So?"

"Sure, kid," and Piccolo was kissing him, hands still pressing heavy against Gohan's wrists. He found it rather heightened what he was feeling, and hoped that Piccolo would stay like that. Especially when the Namekian's body came crashing against him, chest touching Gohan's as his hips slid against the boy's.

Gohan made a noise of encouragement, opening his mouth and slipping his tongue into Piccolo's. His thighs pressed against the side of Piccolo's hips, and he could feel the Namekian's erection already forming, pressing against him in a way that brought a groan from him.

He was startled by the fact that he didn't mind this position—that having Piccolo on top of him like this was so thoroughly erotic. Yet he didn't want to question it, and instead he reveled in the sensation. He almost made a noise of complaint when one of Piccolo's hands was no longer keeping him restrained, but swallowed his arguments when he felt a large palm stroking against his thigh, grip tightening there.

"_Piccolo_," Gohan gasped eagerly, wiggling in his partner's grip. Against his lips he could feel Piccolo chuckling, and the rumble from said laughter rolled through him.

**October 9****th**

"I told you that you'd still be tired in the morning," Piccolo was grumbling, prodding at Gohan. The boy made a sleep noise, smacking his lips as he rolled away from his partner. To his credit, Piccolo tried to reign in the eye roll, but what else could one do when faced with a sleepy demi-Saiyan this early in the morning.

For some reason Gohan had convinced himself last night that fooling around would make him sleepier. And, while the boy did pass out immediately afterwards, Piccolo was beginning to wonder if such activities also put a drain on humans. He felt no such ill after-effects, however, and was thus less sympathetic to Gohan's whining.

"Gohan, you're going to be late."

Unintelligible dribble was all he got.

Sighing, and chalking it up to a lost cause, Piccolo lay back down. He immediately felt arms around him, Gohan drawing closer. His smile was soon hidden within a forest of black hair as Gohan pressed his nose to Piccolo's neck, and the Namekian was returning the hold.

"Fine. But no blaming me for this whenever you do decide to wake up."

**October 15****th**

Piccolo promptly shut the door in Videl's face when the girl showed up on the doorstep, face covered in zombified make-up.

**October 18****th**

"So, about marriage," Chi Chi began, and Gohan felt that familiar churning in his stomach already beginning. He loved his mother—truly, from the bottom of his heart—and he knew that she loved him too, and that was the reason for this pestering. But really, what answer was he supposed to give her? The only one she wanted was a 'yes' and he just… He couldn't.

"Mom," he began, keeping his voice even, "you know that Piccolo wouldn't—,"

"You worry a lot about Piccolo," Chi Chi said suddenly, and Gohan started, "but aren't you a part of this relationship too?" Her eyes were soft, and for once not challenging him. He furrowed his brow in response, obviously not understanding her.

She heaved a sighed, and crossed her arms, drumming her fingers against the cloth. Gohan squinted his eyes to see her better, watching as she seemed to be attempting to figure out the words she wanted to say. He merely sat, waiting.

"It's just… Whenever we talk, it's always about making Piccolo happy, or making him comfortable. But are you doing fine? You're not… sacrificing your happiness in order to make him happy, are you?"

Gohan was floored, looking at his mom. He could do nothing but gape at her for just a moment, before he shook his head, and rose from his seat. His arms spread wide to welcome Chi Chi into them, and she reluctantly fell into his hug. He held her as tight as he dared.

"Mom, I promise I'm happy. I'm not doing anything I don't want to do."

Chi Chi sighed, her fingers tightening in the fabric of his shirt. She nodded, minutely. "I just… I worry about you, dear. Your father and I married so young—and for you not to have found someone yet…." Her voice trailed off. "I was all prepared for you to marry Videl, and now Piccolo…"

"I know you really want me to get married," Gohan said, leaning back so he could look his mother in the eyes, "and I know that's why you're worrying and pestering," that actually got a smile out of her, "but the thing is—you and dad are also kind of a bizarre case. Didn't you also say that dad didn't know what marriage was?"

Chi Chi wrinkled her nose up, and huffed. "Well, he understands now!"

"Minimally."

She made a small noise of assent, before shrugging her shoulders. "I'd still love to see you married off… Though, at least you'll have a nice paying job soon!"

Gohan chuckled, and nodded his head.

**October 20****th**

Gohan was certain, though, as he lay on the carpet, looking up at the ceiling with Piccolo's hand trapped in his, that he'd marry the Namekian in a heart-beat. He had no such qualms about being together, and the thought was truly enticing. To imagine living in a nice house, coming home to Piccolo training in the backyard—perhaps even with children.

He truly loved the thought of it.

Then he was giggling at the thought of tiny Namekians huddled around Piccolo, calling him 'daddy'. This actually drew said alien's attention, and Piccolo was staring in confusion down at the boy. Gohan stifled his laughter, and returned the smile.

"What are you laughing at?" Piccolo suddenly demanded, and Gohan just burst into laughter all over again. "Seriously—hey, brat! Answer me!"

**October 25****th**

Videl was sitting on her bed, Piccolo floating beside her as she was jotting down a few notes for her assignment. He wasn't entirely sure why he was here, but whenever he had time in between sparring matches—Vegeta was on a family trip, and Goten was too busy sulking up in his room about Trunks being gone—he ended up here or in Chi Chi's kitchen.

He couldn't shake the suspicion that something should bother him about these destinations, but he let it be.

Videl finally slammed her book closed, and set it to the side, stretching as she arched her back. She leaned over, and poked Piccolo in the rib, signaling that she was done with her work. He hummed his response, yet stayed in his meditative position, hovering a foot or two above her bed.

Once he didn't begin speaking, Videl let him be, and instead turned to her phone. A quick glance down allowed Piccolo to see that she was 'texting' Gohan. He smiled, faintly, his eyes sliding over one of the texts.

He furrowed his brow.

They were talking about Piccolo as a father.

And his stomach plummeted.

**October 26****th**

Gohan awoke, and immediately scooted over in the bed to reach Piccolo. The Namekian wasn't there, so the demi-Saiyan arose from his bed to find his partner. He found Piccolo already at the front door, hand on the knob preparing to leave.

"Going to train today?" Gohan asked conversationally, to which Piccolo gave him a hum in response. Smiling, Gohan slid forward, leaning up to give his partner a kiss before the Namekian left. Piccolo by passed him, however, and merely opened the door.

Gohan stared at the Namekian's receding back, and felt a sharp pang in his chest.

**October 30****th**

Piccolo sat himself at Chi Chi's table, staring across at the woman. She was keeping her back to him, and not initiating any conversation. He couldn't tell if it was out of respect, or the fact that she was still sore over the fact that he had yet to marry her son.

But right then Piccolo was in turmoil, and decided that sitting in silence at the table was well enough. After all, him glancing down to see the texts between the two young adults—well, it had left him rather confused and off-kilter.

He didn't know how to take what he'd read. It had been harmless enough, he supposed. Simply Gohan telling Videl about some thought or other he'd had—of marrying Piccolo and the two having children. But that was just it, wasn't it? The assumption that Piccolo could somehow be a father, or a spouse. Those two concepts were beyond his grasp, as far as he was concerned.

Sure, he'd helped with the Z-fighter's children. And he'd certainly enjoyed it enough not to complain. Before this relationship had begun with Gohan, he'd almost been certain that he would also have Gohan's spawn to look after and care for.

But what if those children were also his?

And that's where the vision came abruptly to a halt because he'd simply never considered it. He didn't know why his thoughts had never drifted this way. He had a soft spot for children in his heart—despite his bluff and bravado. Every time he looked down at a small child, he just remembered a small Namekian, stumbling through life at a rushed pace. Scared and alone with only the thought of _kill Goku_ to keep him going.

He gritted his teeth and clamped his eyes shut.

He had been given all of his father's memories, to make him who he was. Would a child of his also be stuck with the same fate? To have to be subject to all of the horrid things Piccolo had seen and done. To all of the things that the Demon King had done.

Because despite the fact that Namekians could have children, Piccolo had, for some reason, never fully explored the possibility. He'd simply used the Z-fighter's children as surrogates, a replacement for what he could never have, or was too scared to have.

And the fact that he was scared was disgusting to him—that he could be so weak as to be unable to do something he'd thought of. Piccolo had had such a strong hand in several children's lives, he surely knew that he could, and yet those more unknown parts of the Namekian reproduction held him at bay.

Groaning, he ran a hand against his brow ridge, feeling an itching sensation around his antennae. So many thoughts were coursing through his brain. He didn't know how to talk to Gohan at the moment, and that was also cause for worry. He'd seen the boy's look when he'd been avoiding him for the past few days.

Piccolo dragged his blunt nails across the wood of Chi Chi's table, and found that he was extremely disappointed by the lack of damage. Keeping up with the clipping of his claws had made this small moments of aggression completely pointless, as they essentially did nothing.

"Do you need any help?" Chi Chi's voice was soft, lacking her ire. She was simply looking at him, something akin to pity spread across her features. He had never so desperately wanted to hurt a human in that moment—to see that look there across her face. It felt as if she were looking down on him.

"I'm fine," he snapped, instead. There was no way he could discuss reservations of this level with someone like her. Someone whose whole life had been nothing but a quest for children and marriage. He wanted to scoff at the simplicity of her life—but he gave pause when he remembered that this woman had also lost her husband and children numerous times over.

He bit his tongue.

"Fine certainly doesn't define what you are right now. People who are 'fine' don't mope at someone's house and mutiliate their tables." Her eyes were locked on to where Piccolo was still attempting to leave jagged lines in the grains. He retracted his hand, glaring at her.

"I'm fine as far as you're concerned. It's none of your business." Piccolo's voice was perhaps a little harsher than was necessary. He didn't need to lash out quite so much at Chi Chi, but he found it felt surprisingly good to have someone to blame all of this on. After all, wasn't it her insistent pushing that even brought about the topic of marriage and children?

Chi Chi was gritting her teeth, and he could see he'd stepped over some line. He'd been plenty rude to her, but always in a casual tone.

"If it's none of my business," she was snarling, and he could see her fists clenching beside her hips, "then kindly get out of my house."

Piccolo held a retort that was bubbling up. There would be no good coming from riling up Chi Chi any farther than he'd already managed. Grumbling internally, Piccolo rose from the table, and took off for the apartment.

He cursed himself for his immediate plan of action—to go home. Wasn't that the root of his problems? Chi Chi, Gohan, and that damned apartment. Yet where else would he want to go? The Lookout—Dende would probe and ask questions. Videl's house—the girl was similarly involved, and would no doubt tell Gohan he'd been by. The Brief's home—they would accommodate him, and Trunks never was upset by his visits, but he knew he wouldn't have a moment to himself.

There was always the wastelands, or the waterfall, but Piccolo found he was less inclined to go back to isolation in the wild. That, and despite his frustration with Gohan, he did find that there was guilt rising up inside of him at the fact that he would be leaving the boy alone and clueless.

Setting his jaw, Piccolo flew to the apartment, touching down and walking ever closer. He was purposefully wearing his full gi, weighted pads on and turban in place. There was something about this get up that made him feel as if he were still some of his old self.

He unlocked the door, finding Gohan sitting on the couch. The boy turned to him, giving him a nervous smile, and Piccolo shut the door behind him. He tried exceptionally hard not to focus on the tremor that was happening at the edge of the demi-Saiyan's lips.

"Hi, Piccolo," Gohan greeted, voice quavering. Piccolo wondered if that was guilt building inside of his stomach. "Glad to see you're home." Then Gohan turned away, staring at the TV—or, realistically, staring at his lap.

There was no joyous outburst, no hugs or kisses.

Piccolo gritted his teeth, and reminded himself that of course there weren't. He'd denied all of those the past few days. More than anything Gohan was considerate, more worried for other people than himself. Which led to the Namekian pressing his palm to his eyes, balking over his own stupidity.

He'd been so obsessed with the fact that Gohan had even thought of Piccolo as a marriage partner or father that he hadn't bothered to consider the possibility that Gohan wanted those things perhaps in the future. That the boy was thinking long term, and had simply been talking with Videl as aimlessly as they do about the weather.

Piccolo hunched his shoulders, fingers tapping a nervous pattern against his leg. He'd been so caught up in the idea of a child _now_, of his own personal faults, of his own past welling up and damaging someone. What he'd momentarily thought was guilt made itself fully known in crashing waves, as he hesitantly stepped towards the couch. He drew his padded armor and turban off, and deposited them on the floor.

The loud thud they made drew Gohan's attention, and the boy slowly turned. Piccolo watched the corner of his eyes squint up just a bit, and he found himself staring at them harder than ever. He was watching the myriad of emotions filtering in that dark brown gaze.

Piccolo took another step forward. And another, watching as Gohan monitored his every movement, with something that seemed to scream _hope!_ at the top of metaphorical lungs.

"Had a lot on my mind the past few days," Piccolo grunted, aware that his voice was gruff and awful, and that the sentence was a strange one. His fangs pressed sharply against the inside of his lip as he slowly lowered himself onto the couch.

Gohan smiled at him, though Piccolo noticed it was significantly less bright than normal.

"That's fine," the boy said, and he stayed on his side of the couch, watching Piccolo. "Just, let me know if I can help you with anything."

And Piccolo just sat there, feeling as if something was wrong and yet he couldn't say for certain what it was. His skin prickled, and he shifted in his seat.

Gohan was staring at the TV again.

**October 31****st**

Gohan was actually out of bed before Piccolo, and when the Namekian awoke he was rather surprised. He rose from the mattress, heading into the living room. When the Namekian chose to sleep, it was almost always for a short period. He saw that he'd slept for the majority of the day, however, as he glanced at the clock.

It was already five in the afternoon. Piccolo was astonished. He'd never slept for so long—though he supposed he had been a little drained after all that had been going on. He rubbed his knuckles against his eye, and shook his head, antennae flapping slightly as he attempted to focus.

Gohan wasn't in the apartment. Odd, but not unheard of, so Piccolo merely snatched up one of his novels, seating himself on the couch. He began reading, eyes scanning the pages, until he finally heard a key in the lock.

He turned, then, attempting to not look too eager to see the boy. But Gohan was chattering with Videl when he walked in, and thus did not see Piccolo's initial surprise.

Gohan was standing there with glasses on, which startled Piccolo. He wrinkled his nose up, tilting his head, as he saw the square frames that resided on the boy's face now. When the duo were in the apartment, they both finally looked to Piccolo.

He noticed that Videl's greeting was a little less warm as well, and she seemed to be watching Piccolo with narrowed eyes.

"Glasses, kid?" Piccolo finally prompted, ignoring the slight chill he got from the two. Videl walked to the kitchen, and he heard her rummaging for drinks. Gohan merely sat there, fingers twined in front of him.

"Yes, my sight has apparently been going. I spoke to Videl about it, and she set me up to get these." Gohan tapped nervously at the plastic, and Piccolo gave a minute nod. He hadn't noticed that Gohan's vision had been fading.

Gohan was still standing there, looking uncomfortable.

"Do they look all right?" he prompted, and Piccolo felt a spike of confusion at this. He didn't understand the question. Of course they looked all right. They were simply tools to see from—he wasn't comprehending why Gohan was fishing for a compliment.

"They look nice," Piccolo muttered, fingers brushing against the edges of his book, parchment rubbing against him, as if to keep him distracted. He heard Gohan let out a small sigh, though it sounded like a happier one. He moved further into the building, just as Videl reemerged from the kitchen, a coke bottle in hand.

"Well, I'll take my leave tonight." She cast a look at Piccolo. Then she placed her hand upon Gohan's shoulder, squeezing slightly. "Let me know if you need anything, okay?"

"Yeah."

She left, and Piccolo stared at Gohan.

"Is something the matter?" The Namekian asked. Videl's behavior had been more peculiar than normal. Gohan shifted his feet.

"Yes," he responded, then bit his lip. "She's just… Well, you were kind of… Distant. We're both worried about you."

The way Videl had acted, Piccolo has a suspicion that she was less worried about him, and more focused on the negative affect his behavior had had upon Gohan. He was fine with that—the two were best friends, after all. Except for now he was certain he'd have to explain his behavior.

He heaved a large sigh, shoulders heaving with the effort.

"Come and sit, kid."

**Since I was gone so long, have some angst!**

**Thank-you, for those of you who are reading, and let me know what you think! I love hearing from you all!**


	18. SY November

**This author's note is a bit personal, so you can skip ahead if need be.**

**But basically this chapter took so long because I had a lot of stuff going on. My father (who has attempted suicide before) was relapsing, and so we were helping him out. Other than that it was my mother having shoulder problems, and my dog has a bulging disc in her back that could possibly snap her spine so it was like! Hello life - thank-you for absolutely nothing.**

**On that note I would like to apologize. I'm not entirely... Happy? with this chapter. But no matter how I fiddled with it - it just wasn't going. I apologize in advance.**

**November 15****th**

Gohan sat in the apartment, Videl beside him. She'd been staying as much as possible—between school and helping protect the city. She had brought over plenty of food, announcing that she and Gohan were having a 'vacation from love'.

Part of him had appreciated her, and part of him felt himself die a little on the inside when she said it. But he sat there, nonetheless, eating what she'd brought for the night, and discussing their classes, along with their looming graduations.

She sparred with him, ate with him, played games with him, and even ran errands with him. Yet nothing was the same. Videl was trying her hardest, and that ate away at Gohan in a way that he didn't know was possible.

He was rather good at his happy façade, but every once in a while he would feel a prickle of ki run along his spine, and he would have to resist the urge to drop everything he was doing. Videl could often tell when it happened—she claimed there was a 'look in his eyes'—but she never pressed. She would simply pull some chocolates out of the cabinets, and slide him the bag.

**November 16****th**

Videl watched as Gohan sat there, shoulders rigid. She said nothing as he lurched to his feet, floated up to the ceiling, and angrily began snatching down the plastic planets. Her fists tightened in her laps. Gohan left the room with an arm full of planets, and she was certain she heard them hit the trash.

**November 18****th**

Gohan hadn't told Videl what he and Piccolo had discussed the night it happened. He wasn't sure if he could. He just knew that at night the bed was lonely, and while Videl was a fantastic friend, she'd obviously drawn the line there. She brought a capsule with a bed in it, and took her place in the living room.

So he would lay there, at night, hand gripping the sheet and reflecting upon Piccolo and what had come crashing down over some innocent text messages….

"_Kid, we need to talk."_

_Gohan had felt nervous—of course—who wouldn't? But he'd merely pushed his glasses up his nose, and had timidly taken a seat next to Piccolo. The apartment was still and quiet, and he was unsure of what was coming next. He knew that something had obviously altered drastically between he and his partner, but what it was he didn't know._

_He just knew that Piccolo had been ignoring him and that _hurt_._

_His fingers consistently fidgeted in his lap, and he gave a shy side-look to Piccolo. The alien was sitting there, shoulders hunched forward with his elbows biting into his thigh. His gi looked a little rumpled, and his antennae were twitching spasmodically. Piccolo's brow was furrowed, and Gohan saw him clench his fingers, before turning to look at him._

"_I saw you and Videl… texting." The word was weird on Piccolo's tongue, Gohan could tell, but he dismissed it. He found it was probably best not to dwell on idiosyncrasies right now. "About my being a father."_

_Gohan made an 'o' with his mouth, but said nothing. Those innocent text messages had been the cause of all this? He couldn't make sense of that, so he was hoping that Piccolo would soon elaborate. What could a few harmless jokes have done to shake his partner? After all, the texts hadn't been serious propositions._

_But Piccolo seemed to be done speaking, and took that as an end to the conversation. He was now staring intently at Gohan, who was staring blankly back._

"_Piccolo—those were jokes. We were kidding. Why are you upset?" He was certain he sounded a bit accusatory, but he couldn't really stop himself. This whole thing seemed ridiculous and blown out of proportion, especially considering how _hurt_ Gohan had been as of late._

"_Jokes to you two," Piccolo snapped. "Not quite so funny to me. You keep dragging me farther into this relationship mess, and isn't that what happens in the end?" _

_Gohan reeled back. He narrowed his eyes at Piccolo, and he could see the Namekian mirror his action. "You think I—'dragged' you in?"_

_Piccolo seemed to hesitate, obviously weighing his words. Then he spluttered out a little, "yes."_

_Gohan tightened his hands into fists. "I—how did I drag you?"_

"_You kept pressuring for more," Piccolo said, looking thoroughly more out of place, his arms crossing over his chest, and Gohan could see he was almost ready to be on his feet._

"_I always asked your permission," Gohan replied, his hands clenching into his shirt sleeves, unable to fully comprehend what the hell was actually happening right now. Hadn't he been so careful, so unsure whenever he'd dealt with Piccolo? Always given the Namekian options._

_Then he'd felt his stomach churn as he realized that—hadn't Piccolo always been uncomfortable with romantic situations?_

"_Permission or not, I never wanted any of this to begin with," Piccolo's voice was rough, and now he was on his feet, glaring down at Gohan._

_And Gohan felt like he didn't really have much fight left in him. He couldn't demand that Piccolo stay, or make some grand sweeping gesture that would suddenly make all of this all right. And he certainly wasn't too sure of himself right now, with the looming possibility that he had indeed hurt Piccolo._

"_Okay." Gohan's voice broke, and he slumped in his seat. Piccolo seemed to waver in the room. Unspoken words—Gohan didn't know what they are—hung in the room. "You can go now. I won't make you stay."_

And he'd left. Which meant Gohan was stuck here, staring at absolutely nothing, pressing on with his life as if none of this were affecting him, as if none of this were real.

**November 19****th**

Piccolo had secluded himself in the wilderness, unwilling to go anywhere else. It was clear that Videl was no longer an ally, Chi Chi would certainly not be a big fan of him right now, and the Lookout would certainly garner attention from Dende, who would give him that 'oh dear' look that would make Piccolo want to fight someone until they were a bloody pulp.

So he sat there, meditating, attempting to block guilty thoughts—or any thoughts at all—of someone that he couldn't bear to even think the name of. Which was incredibly pathetic, in Piccolo's mind, yet what was he to do? Go crawling back to—no.

He had hurt the kid, even he knew that with his failing social skills, and that was what was eating him the most. He's was playing a coward's game, delving into the wild instead of facing the feelings that the boy had inspired him in. Instead of taking a step back and admitting that he'd done the one thing he'd strived to avoid for all of these years.

Piccolo had hurt the one person on this Earth he would gladly die for—the one person that had ever truly accepted him faults and all, and never felt a need to pressure him beyond that. He had accused that person of forcing him into something he himself had gone into willingly.

For he knew that—knew that he had appreciated the affection, and would not have stopped it had he not has his slight break down. If he had not overreacted and lashed out. But he was a prideful being, to be sure, and now he was left staring at the wreckage that he had caused.

Piccolo groaned, lowering himself to the grass, gi shifting beneath his legs. This was pathetic. He didn't feel at home here. He longed to go back to that small apartment, recline with his novel and—

No point dwelling on it.

* * *

Gohan sat at Chi Chi's table, entertaining his mother. He'd told her nothing of him and Piccolo's predicament, but it was obvious that she knew something was wrong. Videl was hoping that she wouldn't pry too far into this whole mess—the last thing she wanted was for Piccolo to become irredeemable (again) in her eyes.

The girl did, however, take this time to excuse herself from the house, allowing mother and son to be alone. Neither stopped her, so she took to the skies, feeling the familiar rush of wind through her clothes. She was tired of all of this—Gohan wouldn't tell her what was wrong, and she hadn't seen Piccolo. Perhaps she shouldn't have been so harsh on him in the first place.

She had just been so upset seeing Gohan hurt, that she'd reacted poorly to the situation. She wasn't dumb—but she wasn't exactly known for her reasonable responses.

Now, while Gohan was distracted, however, she was going to begin her search for the allusive Namekian. She recalled that Piccolo's favorite spot had been one waterfall. It was her best guess that he had to have secluded himself there.

She flew, scanning the landscape, until she saw a familiar purple blotch. Here she hesitated, squinting up her eyes, and setting her jaw. Sucking in a deep breath, she shot down from the sky like a bullet, skidding into the grass in front of Piccolo, earning her a reproachful glance.

"Piccolo!" Videl cried, attempting to look as panicked as possible. "You have to come quick! Gohan's in trouble and—!"

Piccolo simply stared at her, and held up a hand, cutting her sentence short.

"You do realize I can feel power levels. And, on the off-chance that the enemy was a god, making it to where I could not sense them, I would still feel Gohan's power. I have been monitoring his ki, and it has not fluctuated."

Videl paused, a little disappointed that her brilliant plan had, for some reason, not worked. Yet there was also a piece of that sentence that caught her attention, which did satisfy her minimally. He obviously still cared, and was paying attention.

He was also watching her carefully, obviously their last encounter fresh in his mind.

She grimaced.

"Fine, so he's not in trouble from some villain or whatever… But he is hurting." Videl stared straight into Piccolo's eyes, driving her point home. He shifted uncomfortably beneath her gaze, but she didn't have the time right now to spare for him being uncomfortable.

"I don't care," Piccolo snapped.

"Bull crap!"

"Shut your mouth!"

"Shut yours first!"

They were glaring at one another, and Videl emitted a noise of frustration. Then she stopped, smirked, and cocked her hip to the side. "You're going to tell me what's going on, right now."

"Like hell," Piccolo snarled, shoulders squared.

Videl pursed her lips, and whistled a quick little tune, watching Piccolo's reaction. He immediately hissed in pain, clapping his hands over his ears. She was certain she'd won by now, continuing on with her song.

With a snarl, Piccolo pierced his claws into his skull, ripping his ears from his skull. This interrupted Videl's plan, and she groaned.

"Are you kidding me? You're willing to _rip your ears off so you don't have to talk_!" She was screaming at him, fully aware that he couldn't hear her. He just sat there, panting, staring dumbly up at her as purple blood bubbled and dripped down the side of his face.

That's fine, Videl decided. She could be stubborn too.

**November 20****th**

Videl's stomach growled, and it was pretty painful. She doubled up, clutching at her abdomen, fingers knotting in the fabric. Beside her, she heard Piccolo make a rough noise, before finally nudging her with his foot. He'd long since regenerated his ears, and had been suffering through her singing random songs, or her body's complaints.

"We'll talk," he finally snarled. Videl grinned, and hopped to her feet, ignoring her belly.

"Good—because I'm sure Gohan's worried, and I need to get home."

"You're staying at the apartment?" Piccolo demanded suddenly, staring down at her. Something flickered across his face, and Videl could have squealed with joy. Was it jealousy, concern, or simply homesickness—well, it didn't matter! It meant Piccolo felt something about the fact that she was currently staying with his partner.

"Sure am," Videl replied evenly. "He needed some emotional support after a certain alien broke his heart." Her legs were stretched out in front of her, and her hands occupied themselves upon her knees. Beside her, Piccolo was shifting, his shoes sliding through the grass.

Videl tilted her head up, looking to him.

"So… When you said we'd talk, did you just mean sit here in awkward silence?"

Piccolo snorted, crossing his arms in a huffy nature. He bent his knees slightly, crouching beside her. His eyes slid to meet hers, and she fell silent, waiting for him to begin.

"I don't know what you want me to say," Piccolo snarled, his elbows pressing against his thighs. He was staring at the ground, brow ridge furrowing. "If you're wanting to know what happened—you're partially to blame." His eyes cut to her with a ferocious glare. "Your moronic text messages about me having children happened to disagree with me."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Videl demanded.

"You are aware of my past?"

Videl hesitated, fingers tightening on her kneecap, unsure of whether to maintain eye contact. "I know of it—yes."

"I am… afraid of what would happen if I were to lay eggs. To imagine anything negative happening to my offspring is unpleasant." Piccolo released a gust of air, looking up to the sky, the back of his neck crinkling. Videl found it was easier to look at that then see his expression. "The surrogates were fine—I was certain you and Gohan would have children." He shrugs, and Videl watches his shoulders rise and fall.

Her throat is a little dry, now that she thinks about it. Was it awful?—Piccolo thinking of she and Gohan being intimate in the way that they had been. Of her bearing children that were his partners? Yet Piccolo had never expressed any such feelings to her. She didn't even know if he had the capacity to feel such things as that.

"For years that was my plan," Piccolo was talking, and this was personal. Videl was certain that she needed to listen. "Now things have changed," he sounded tired, "and Gohan and I have…" His voice trailed off.

"A relationship," Videl prompted, to which Piccolo made a gargled noise. "That's what it is, Piccolo." She lifted a placating hand, touching his shoulder. Her hand was small, fingers splaying across the muscle, giving him a sympathetic smile.

He gave her a strange look. "It's not as if it matters anymore. I accused Gohan of… Of forcing me. I know that I hurt him." His eyes tightened at the corners, and Videl's heart gave a painful thump in her chest. There was a cold knot in her stomach, and the chill was spreading.

"Well… If you can admit that you're sorry...," Videl said, "then you can apologize."

Piccolo sat there, and said nothing. Ignoring his silence, she pushed forward, her arms looping around Piccolo's torso. He made a noise of surprise, arms rising up as she pressed closer to him. Right now, Videl felt that friendship was all she could give both of the boys—and a bit of guidance. This was all she could manage.

The alien merely sat there, then snorted. She giggled, a little bit, when she felt his large palm crash clumsily against her skull. Her hair was soon mussed, and his hand sat there for just a moment.

Videl took that as a certified Piccolo thank-you.

**November 23****rd**

Videl had been in better spirits. Gohan hadn't exactly been able to ascertain why, but he could pinpoint it to the whole day that she'd gone missing. She'd been secretive with her reasons, and Gohan eventually let it be. He'd already hurt one of his friendships by pressuring someone—he didn't want to revisit that.

**November 25****th**

When Piccolo touched down at Chi Chi's house, he was greeted by a rather enthusiastic attack from Goten. The boy had come flying from behind a tree, foot landing solidly into his ribcage. Piccolo had doubled up for a moment, before fending off the child's next barrage of attacks.

Before long the duo attracted the attention of Chi Chi, who had one hip leaned against the door frame, a plate she was drying in hand. Her eyes were squinted up at the corner, and she regarded Piccolo evenly. He met her gaze—Videl had assured him that Gohan had yet to say anything to his mother about their break—and gave her a minute nod. He had upset her the last time he'd been here, but she seemed neutral once more.

Goten seemed to grow bored of sparring, so he extended one sticky hand to clasp around Piccolo's finger, dragging him forward. He feigned aggravation at the child, yet allowed himself to be pulled along, exited chatter from the younger.

He was pulled closer to the house, where Chi Chi had disappeared once more. Piccolo was promptly introduced to the living room, where Goten began rambling about how Christmas was coming up once more, and was Piccolo excited—would he be visiting again this year? Could Goten perhaps sleep in his lap?

"If you fall asleep in my lap, you die there," Piccolo snapped, bulky frame hunching up in the Son household. This place was uncomfortable to him—especially with his duration in the wild once again. There was also the fact that none of it was reminiscent of the apartment in the slightest.

But Goten was staring up at him in rapture. "Jeez, Mr. Piccolo—sometimes you can be pretty cool!" He was giggling then, and Piccolo flushed purple, ears flapping at the child's words.

"Piccolo," Chi Chi's voice preceded her, then she entered, a steaming cup in her hand. "Fruit tea?" she prompted, to which he slowly took it, staring dubiously down at the cup. The woman seemed to be sucking up to him, and he was left with no one to defend him, as Goten had taken that time to hurry outside.

Resigning himself to his fate, Piccolo took a sip from his cup, finding the taste rather likable. He kept his surly expression, though, watching the small woman with apprehension.

"Christmas is coming up," Chi Chi began, hands on her fists. Piccolo sighed.

"I was told."

"So are you coming again to this year's celebration?" she asked, obviously hinting heavily at the fact that the answer was to be a 'yes'. Her eyebrows were arching suspiciously high, and Piccolo wondered for the hundredth time how Goku had ever lived with this woman.

His fingers tightened around the cup. He hadn't yet made up with Gohan—so to show up to such an event… Piccolo gritted his teeth. What the hell could he possibly say to Chi Chi? A no would certainly end with a long lecture, along with threats from a frying pan. A yes would immediately put him in an awkward situation of facing the very person he was currently avoiding.

Videl had been encouraging him to talk to Gohan once more but—Piccolo found the guilt and disgust with himself were a little overwhelming at the moment. His accusations had been ridiculous, and what was to be done about it? Apologize? But what would be the proper way to do so.

"I'm going to assume that you'll be there," Chi Chi said abruptly, smirking up at him. "Anyways, have you been practicing your cooking? I won't have my baby eating the same thing all the time. It'd be unhealthy for him!" She was glaring now, and Piccolo balked.

Of course he hadn't been practicing. He'd been hiding out by his waterfall, secluding herself from that 'baby' of hers. Which, vaguely, he did wonder what Gohan had been eating. Had Videl been providing food, or had he fallen back into his initial habit of fast food and basic sandwiches? Chi Chi would have all of their heads if such news ever reached her ears.

Instead he made a noncommittal noise, and abruptly handed her his cup. She blinked, fingers wrapping around the handle.

He coughed, rubbing at the back of his head. "I have to get home," he grumbled, and Chi Chi beamed a smile up at him that he felt he didn't deserve.

"All right—ah, young love." She giggled, her free hand patting at her cheek. "Can't bear to be out of each other's arms, I'm sure." Chi Chi looked so young and happy, that Piccolo felt another brick of guilt settle into his stomach. "Hurry home then, and tell Gohan I love him! And remind him of the wedding, dear."

"There isn't going to be one, woman!" Piccolo had the presence to snap out, flushing as he rushed towards the door. Chi Chi merely laughed, and he grit his fangs together, wanting desperately to tell her that it went farther beyond his reservations at this point—that there was no longer a relationship to be had anymore.

He took to the skies, shooting out across the city. The sky was darkening around him, and despite his plan to return immediately to the waterfall, he found himself heading towards a place that was just as familiar. Under the cover of nightfall, he descended upon the apartment, where he could feel Gohan's ki forming a comforting buzz around him.

Piccolo suppressed his own energy, the tip of his shoes scraping concrete as he flew closer. The curtains were drawn apart, and he paused next to the window. Hunkering to the side, he peeked cautiously inwards, Videl already in sight. The girl had a gaming controller in hand—the screen displayed Gauntlet, and Piccolo felt his fingers twitch in response to the game.

Then his gaze slid to the side, and his fingernails bit into his palm. Gohan was sitting beside Videl, tapping away at his controller, his tongue poking from between his lips. He was bent double, rib cage almost touching his thighs, elbows splayed against his knee.

His glasses were in place, though they had slid down his nose, dangling precariously there. Black spiky hair still stuck up in an unruly mess, one large chunk hanging into his eyes. He lazily swiped at it, not breaking from his video game.

He looked the exact same, but Piccolo was staring as if Gohan had magically grown up in front of him. Was it the prolonged lack of contact? Surely not—he'd gone much longer without seeing Gohan. Perhaps it was the way he'd left the boy then. He didn't know.

All Piccolo knew was that now, more than ever, he certainly wanted to be back inside of the apartment.

He continued to watch, until he saw that Gohan had stopped the game. Piccolo watched as the boy rose from his position on the floor. He was stretching and laughing, muttering good night to Videl, and flicking off the Playstation. He disappeared back into the bedroom—Piccolo could hear the creaking sounds of his footsteps, along with him eventually sinking into the mattress.

Part of him reflected that this was just pathetic. He watched as Videl began straightening up, digging in her pocket for a capsule. She looked up, and made direct eye contact with Piccolo.

He jumped, just as she did the same, stuffing her knuckles into her mouth as she pressed a hand to her chest. Piccolo was flushing now as Videl slowly made her way over towards the door. From what he could hear she was slowly turning the lock, presumably keeping the noise down.

She poked her head out, staring up at the flustered Piccolo.

"Is there a reason you're creeping outside of the window?" Videl narrowed her eyes at Piccolo, and he made a shushing motion. His eyes darted nervously to where his ears were still picking up noises of Gohan settling himself in for the night. She groaned, and stepped onto the stoop, drawing the door closed behind her.

"Have you been feeding him?" Piccolo suddenly demanded, as it was the only thing he could think of just then. He blurted it out, and Videl's reaction was immediate, brows contracting as she cast a suspicious glance up at him.

"What?"

"I meant—," Piccolo flexed his fingers nervously, averting his gaze, "what has he been eating?"

"Cardboard and drywall," Videl replied, rolling her eyes. He gave her a rather sharp glare, which she waved away. "Seriously—I've just been bringing whatever the chefs make at my house. Or we eat out." A shrug. "Did you fly all the way out here just to ask about his diet plan?"

"No," Piccolo snapped, arms crossing as he glared down at her.

Videl sighed. "Sorry, I suppose I should turn down the sass. I know you're just worried about him…" she gave him a sympathetic glance. He grimaced, flicking his ears. There was a soft sound—one that sounded like Gohan's steady breathing, whenever the boy fell asleep. A soft smile wound its way onto his face, until he recalled that Videl was watching him.

"He's asleep," Piccolo grunted, as if that were an explanation. He knew very well that it wasn't, but here lately Piccolo was learning that this helpless feeling was becoming all the rage in his regular life. This feeling of 'what can I do?'

Videl hesitated, and then slowly opened the door. "Want to come in?"

Piccolo paused, staring at her. He wondered… No. Videl would never do anything malicious to him. Especially not at the expense of Gohan. This wouldn't be a trap. So he nodded, then stepped into the apartment. The swoop of emotions he got overwhelmed him, but he remained stoic on the outside. He sat there, taking in the smell of it all—the hum of all the electronics, the bookshelf that remained exactly as he'd left it.

He moved into the kitchen, while Videl followed him.

"What are you two doing for breakfast?" Piccolo demanded, eyes scanning over the immaculate counters. It certainly looked the same as when he left it—but there was a large amount of Tupperware drying in the holder. He looked to Videl.

She shrugged. "I don't know. We were probably going to eat out before school."

Piccolo glared at her. "You humans know all of that is disgusting, right? What would you do if I told Chi Chi about this?"

"Tattle tale!" Videl said, shaking her head. "But you'd have to explain to Chi Chi why _I'm _staying here—and why you're not taking care of her precious baby."

Piccolo snarled, turning his back on Videl. "Go to bed." He finally huffed.

"Are you going to stay here?" she asked, dubiously. Piccolo gave a slanted shrug, stepping into the living room. Apparently deciding not to question anymore, Videl popped out her bed, and settled into it. He did feel her eyes on him, however, as strode farther back in the apartment.

He paused outside of the familiar door, staring at it. Piccolo gulped, straining for any sound of Gohan waking. For the most part, whenever he was down—that was it for the rest of the night. He would only wake whenever his alarm went off, or if Piccolo came personally to get him.

So, steeling himself, Piccolo entered the room. His footsteps were soft, quiet whispers against the carpet. With a rigid spine he grew closer, the lump underneath the covers suspiciously familiar. Piccolo lifted his hand shakily, placing it on the comforter. He pulled back on them slightly, revealing Gohan's face.

The boy was sprawled out, fingers half clenched as he lay there. His mouth was open, a trickle of drool running from the corner. Piccolo grimaced at that, shaking his head. Humans could be so disgusting sometimes.

He lifted his hand from the blanket, instead placing it upon the boy's head. He'd forgotten how nice Gohan's hair could feel, filtering through his fingers. Gohan made a small noise, shifting slightly beneath Piccolo's touch, and the Namekian tilted his head, another one of those strange smiles workings its way upon him.

Piccolo was certain that he had to apologize now—he simply had to find a way.

He left the room then, unable to continue looking on the boy with how things were at the moment. Instead he traversed back into the living room, where Videl had already fallen asleep herself. A whirlwind even in her sleep, she'd already shoved pillows into the floor, and had her legs all kicked and twisted up in the blanket.

Snorting, Piccolo looked up, eyes upon the ceiling. He sat there, staring incredulously at the blank expanse of white. Then he felt as if he'd been sucker punched in the stomach—for Gohan had taken down his fake sky.

**November 26****th**

Gohan groaned, rolling out of bed. His feet hit the carpet, and he stretched, back arching as he rubbed sleepily at the back of his head. He smacked his lips, casting a curious glance around his room. His nose twitched, and he pulled a face.

Had Videl actually made breakfast? It smelled almost like…

"Almost smells like Piccolo's home," Gohan whispered, safely inside his bedroom, where there'd be no Videl to try and cheer him up, and no reason to pretend to be happy. He bunched his fists up on his thigh, squinting up his eyes.

He missed Piccolo dreadfully.

Gohan headed into the kitchen, scratching at his bare stomach, jogging pants hanging lower on his hips. He was halfway down the hall when he realized he heard two voices, and he hesitated. The last thing he wanted to do was go out half-dressed if Videl had for some reason brought a friend over.

Then he heard a deep baritone.

"He's coming in now."

Gohan jerked, then shot forwards, feet slamming against the floor as he burst into the kitchen. Videl was seated, mouth already full of pancakes as she met Gohan's gaze. He stayed locked onto her, as if unable to actually make himself look elsewhere. Because he knew. He knew who he'd see if he looked to the left. He knew who was at the oven, currently trying not to make eye contact as he shuffled bacon onto a huge plate.

Videl shifted in her seat. "Hey, so… Should I head out?"

Gohan didn't answer, and instead looked to Piccolo's broad shoulders, which were rather fascinating at the moment. But he could also feel his insecurities bubbling up, and with that, a bit of indignation.

"You're here. Making breakfast." Gohan was aware that his voice was a little flat—a little wrong. But what the hell was Piccolo expecting? Why was Videl so calm about all this?

"I… I am," Piccolo grunted, and now he was facing Gohan, his fist tight around the spatula. None of the stove eyes were on any more, and so the Namekian was facing him freely. Was the spatula supposed to be some sort of security blanket?

"Why?"

Piccolo didn't answer.

Gohan felt his frustration mount.

"Why? The only reason you had to do that was because I forced you into a relationship, right?" Gohan felt his stomach churn, and he saw Videl shift awkwardly in her seat.

"Gohan—you might want to hear him out on this… we've been talking about it," Videl muttered, shifting. Piccolo gave her a strained look, obviously uncomfortable with being spoken about like this.

Gohan flushed. "So you two have been talking about all of this behind my back?" he snapped, turning incredulously between the two of them. Videl had the decency to look ashamed, while Piccolo remained stoic. There was a tightening around the corner of his mouth, but it didn't do anything to assuage Gohan.

"Look—it's not like that," Videl tried to placate him. "I just knew you were missing him, and you wouldn't tell me what happened so…"

Gohan pressed his lips together. He felt betrayed.

He could hear Piccolo and Videl say something to one another, but he couldn't think of that. Couldn't think of them talking about him and his situation like he wasn't the one actually involved. Gohan was aware he made a noise, and that he had attracted the duo's attention once more.

"Do you have any idea how you made me _feel_, Piccolo? All I've been thinking about is how much I've been hurting you!" His eye lids were itchy, and he was sure they were turning red—_no_! he didn't want to cry right now!

The Namekian finally seemed to respond, shoulders slumping forward as he took a hesitant step towards Gohan. He cast a glance to Videl, who seemed to be teetering on the edge of what to do. Their eyes met, and Gohan had a strong dislike towards both of the moment and—_no_! No crying.

Piccolo said something that Gohan didn't quite hear, but whatever it was made Videl leave the room. Because suddenly he was there alone with Piccolo, and he really wanted to cry—perhaps punch something? But no, that wasn't logical, and if anything, Gohan was logical, and he certainly wouldn't give into that.

"Look, kid…" Piccolo's voice—Gohan was hearing it, but he couldn't quite say he was understanding it. He couldn't hear Piccolo because he was crying now, great big gulping sobs that were probably the ugliest human thing that Piccolo had ever witnessed. Huge salty tears welled up, rolling down his cheeks as Gohan tried desperately to swipe them away. The back of his hands pushed against his cheeks, reddening the skin as he hiccupped, bending double.

He felt as if Videl had betrayed him, and he felt like complete and utter garbage for the whole debacle with Piccolo. His friend, his mentor, his everything and he'd turned it all into a huge mess. Hadn't he told Videl at the beginning—that things couldn't go back to normal. There was no way they could go back from this, and Gohan hated that. Hated everything about this.

He'd been abusive, hadn't he? Forcing Piccolo into this—getting angry at Videl for attempting to help? There were so many conflicting thoughts and emotions that were pouring out with all of the tears. He sucked in a deep, shuttering breath, lips quaking with the effort.

Through his blurry eyes, he saw Piccolo move closer. Then he felt warm palms on each side of his face, smooth fingertips brushing small thumbs against his skin. Gohan stiffened immediately, staring apprehensively to Piccolo's face.

"You," Piccolo's voice faltered. "You told me that this is what your mother did whenever you didn't feel well." Large fingers circled a pattern across his cheek, and Gohan felt his face scrunch up, the tears not done yet.

"Why," Gohan croaked, "are you doing this? You don't want to be with me, Mr. Piccolo, I got it just… This… This hurts a lot…" He was shaking, and he saw Piccolo's face crumple. The alien kept his grasp on Gohan, however, thumbs still pressing comfortingly against him.

"I'm trying to tell you," Piccolo grumbled, face flushing as he spoke, "I'm sorry."

Gohan felt a few more tears track downwards, but he was staring, befuddled at Piccolo.

"What?"

Piccolo pressed his fangs together, the gritting noise audible. "I—I lied. You didn't force me to do anything. I was a coward, and was unable to admit to myself that… That I was wrong." Now his eyes were squinted close, and Gohan was staring dumbly at him.

They sat in silence, Piccolo still stooped forward.

"I don't expect forgiveness," he finally rumbled. "Gohan, you are the one person that I do not want to see hurting. I was just too full of myself to come and set things right."

Gohan could still feel that his emotions were a mess, and they weren't settling down any time soon. He lifted one hand, pressing it against Piccolo's. The warmth it exuded was something he'd missed, and he saw that Piccolo was staring avidly at him.

"Can…" Gohan hesitated. "Can I hug you?"

Piccolo swallowed—Gohan heard it—and nodded. Tentatively, Gohan took a step forward, his bare chest thumping against Piccolo's. He immediately felt large arms surrounding him, and in that moment he couldn't care that his glasses were splattered and stained from tears, or that they were pressing uncomfortably against his face. All he cared about was the fact that he was standing there, hugging Piccolo again—something he thought he'd lost forever.

There was still a little hollow pit in his stomach. Something that told him that this might take time to heal. While he had certainly forgiven Piccolo… Damage had still been done… And he supposed he owed Videl an apology as much as she owed him an explanation.

But for now.

He was happy to just stand here, awkwardly pressed against his partner.

"I love you, kid," Piccolo grunted, and Gohan clutched at his gi, hands pressing against the alien's shoulder blades.

"I love you too, Piccolo," he said, voice wavering.

**Reviews are always appreciated, for all of you still reading - it means the world. If you have any questions though, feel free to PM me here or on Tumblr, or put it in a review. Especially if it's a question I will most certainly try to answer.**

**I hope you all have a wonderful week, and thank-you for the support thus far.**


	19. SY December

**I would like to formerly apologize for the ridiculous wait in between chapters, but I do want to thank all of you so much for your supportive words. You were all so kind in spite of this. As an update; my father got more medication, my dog has since recovered and now she only has to take pain killers whenever she's having a bad day, and my mother was lucky enough to get vacation time. Everything sorted itself out; and now I hope to get back to things. I am a bit rusty, however, so I do apologize if it's a bit rough.**

**December 1****st**

"Tis the season to be jolly!" Videl sang, shooting her fingers to Gohan's face. He blinked at her, sighed, and hung his head.

"Fa la la la la, la la la la." His voice was dead and bland, which earned him an appreciative blink from Piccolo.

"I like your lack of enthusiasm," Piccolo smirked, one leg crossed over the other as Gohan sat close to him. Or—close considering there was company over. Though, Piccolo insisted that Videl was more of a stray dog than any sort of house guest. Initially Gohan had protested such words for his friend, but underneath it all he garnered that there was definitely an amount of affection there, so he'd let it be.

"Don't encourage that!" Videl chastised, huffing as she crossed her arms. "We all need to be in the Christmas spirit! And Piccolo—I understand that you're a walking green monstrosity, but that is not enough."

"I'm going to gut her."

Gohan chuckled, and shook his head, placing one calming hand upon Piccolo's. The Namekian gave him a thoughtful glance, before rolling his wrist, so his fingers intertwined with Gohan's. Their palms pressed together, and they shared a small, timid smile.

**December 2****nd**

Since the pair had come back together, Gohan had completely backed off of any sexual intimacy. He didn't want Piccolo feeling uncomfortable, or pressured, as there was still that lingering sense that Gohan would push him too far. That he had somehow done something wrong.

He stuck by this—rather firmly, he believed—until he was laying down to go to sleep, and Piccolo's hand wandered first.

Gohan was startled. Of course he would be. Yet there were Piccolo's fingers, tracing across his stomach, goosebumps following behind them. He shivered, and Piccolo's hand stilled, obviously unsure. Gohan bit his lip, but said nothing, wondering what would come next.

Piccolo muttered something, and moved farther away from Gohan, a seemingly ocean wide expanse of sheet between them. He squinted his eyes up tight, and stared up at the ceiling. There wasn't enough courage within him to will his arm to stretch out and touch his lover.

Or, former lover at this point seemed to be more accurate.

**December 4****th**

Piccolo stared at Chi Chi's back, a dozen questions racing through his mind. He couldn't voice any of them—least of all to her. But perhaps she was the one person that could possibly help him. After all, hadn't Son Goku been as completely useless as Piccolo when it came to romance and sexual interactions? How had Chi Chi somehow morphed the man into someone who was capable of producing two boys?

The words died on his lips however as he thought of the humiliation—and the fact that according to Chi Chi her son was a chaste and pure boy, who would never even think to do such things without a marriage preluding it. If he so much as breathed a word, he had no doubt that Chi Chi would try to immediately stuff him in some horrid human arrangement—much like the one that she sported in her pictures with Son Goku.

So he sat there, glaring angrily at the table, and desperately trying to think of something he could do to restore Gohan's lost initiative.

When they'd first been together, the boy had been unable to keep his hands off of Piccolo, nor could he keep his flowery words to himself. Now, the opposite was true, and Gohan seemed to be guarding all of his affections, afraid to show Piccolo.

And… Well, Piccolo supposed there was only himself to blame.

**December 6****th**

Their shoulders bumped as they sat down, and Gohan tentatively wrapped his hand around Piccolo's. He gave him a tentative smile, before slowly returning his attention to the TV. It was basically static to him. This wasn't even a show he liked, if he were to be honest. However it was something to distract him from Piccolo.

He'd forgiven him, hadn't he? So things shouldn't be this hard.

Piccolo snarled beside him, and Gohan looked to him, brows furrowed in confusion. He saw the Namekian's face had drawn closer, nose tip almost touching. A rather (un)dignified squeak left Gohan, leaving him to reel back in surprise.

"Dammit, Gohan," Piccolo's voice was deep, and grating. He looked at Gohan with sharp eyes, boring them into him. Gohan simply shrunk in on himself, hands now free to where he could fidget with his sleeves. The fabric of his sweater was suddenly very mesmerizing.

"Sorry," he mumbled. Though to be honest he hadn't felt very sorry at all. His apology was just a word, lacking feeling behind it. Because he wasn't sorry—he was upset. Unsure. Those two words fit. Apologetic was one that didn't.

But he supposed there was no nice, one word sentence that could truly convey 'you exceptionally hurt my feelings and now I have no clue what to do with this relationship as you expressed problems with it and where are we supposed to go from here?'

So he said 'sorry', knew that Piccolo could feel that undercurrent of emotion that certainly had nothing to do with the word. The Namekian sighed, his whole frame heaving, and it gusted right over Gohan's face. He reflected that they hadn't had dinner yet, and that Piccolo's breath smelled of nothing. It was simple hot air puffing over him.

"I don't want you to be sorry," Piccolo's voice was careful, lips moving slowly over the words, "I want you to be yourself again."

Gohan remained quiet.

Piccolo groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine." Gohan blinked. He didn't know what the hell that was supposed to mean, but it sounded as if Piccolo had made some sort of conviction.

He sat there, watching as Piccolo grew closer, and his hands cupped Gohan's chin once more, awkwardly thumbing at his cheeks. Gohan withstood it, watching as Piccolo seemed to be mustering up—something, certainly, for his cheeks were flushed, his ears were twitching, and his mouth was working furiously.

"I love your eyes—they're brown like the Earth," Piccolo muttered, and Gohan stared at him, jaw sagging just a bit.

"What?"

"I'm not repeating any of this again!" Piccolo snapped. "So listen closely kid, and don't interrupt me, or I won't be able to keep going." The Namekian huffed, and his hands moved upwards, threading his fingers in Gohan's hair. "Your hair, too," he grunts. "When you're asleep sometimes I've ran my fingers through it. My people don't have it."

Gohan gulped, and his throat was so dry. He was staring at Piccolo, he couldn't help it. He was watching the bob of Piccolo's neck, his lips contorting around the words as if they hurt him, and the consistent feeling of pressure on his skin, reminding him that Piccolo was certainly uncomfortable with this.

"Your hands," Piccolo continued, his voice grew quieter, though there was a bit more aggression to it now. It seemed as if prolonged use was having a negative impact. "They're different from mine. You have callouses." Here Piccolo squinted up his eyes, and glared at Gohan's lap. "So there, brat. I did what you used to do."

Gohan was dumbfounded.

"I forgot one thing." Piccolo grasped at Gohan's hands, pulling him forward. His lips pressed against Gohan's, and the boy felt his spine stiffen, while he recalled long nights spent doing nothing but this. This innocent kiss that was surely Piccolo's favorite.

He relaxed, lips opening, dragging against his partner's slowly. They slotted together, and Gohan pressed closer, arms winding around Piccolo's shoulders. His forearms pressed against the muscle, fingertips flirting with the back of Piccolo's neck.

He had missed this—missed this so much. Those nights, lying in bed, wondering when things would return to normal. Gohan had mistakenly assumed that he would be the one that would have to fix things—that would breach the gap that was separating them now. And he had been unwilling to, just yet, begin construction on that bridge.

Piccolo being the one to reach out—that had never been something he'd even considered. It had seemed too surreal to even imagine, and thus he'd never thought to. But having it firsthand had made his heart pulse painfully, and his stomach to flutter uncontrollably.

He shuddered as Piccolo's hands traveled down his ribs, long fingers grasping Gohan's hips. There was a small moment where their lips disconnected, and Gohan was startled as he was relocated to Piccolo's lap, pressing flush against his mentor as they resumed the heated kiss.

There was the first press of tongue, and Gohan emitted a low noise, Piccolo's claw dragging across his thighs. The feeling through denim was fantastic, and with his partner wearing his gi, there was already a telling sign that Piccolo was enjoying himself.

Gohan rutted his hips against Piccolo's need, earning a hiss in response.

"Woah, kid," Piccolo grunted, but Gohan tilted his head, drawing his tongue across Piccolo's neck. He was leaving sloppy kisses, teeth scraping as well, only encouraged by their time apart, Piccolo's words, and his ever pressing need that Gohan could currently grind against. His own cock had already left a small stain against his jeans, and he couldn't care less, for Piccolo was in a similar state.

Piccolo groaned, pressing one hand to Gohan's chest, pushing the boy back a little. He made a small noise of complaint, mouth suddenly not tasting his partner, but he obeyed the Namekian's command. Piccolo's face was purple all over, and he was panting, chest heaving. His jaw hung open just a bit, and Gohan felt a bit embarrassed that he'd gotten carried away.

"You need to avoid mom again for a while," Gohan coughed.

He met Piccolo's furious gaze.

Then he laughed, and Piccolo even cracked a smile.

**December 8****th**

"Honestly, Piccolo, I didn't _know_ she'd need a car ride!" Gohan was holding in his laughter, which was earning him nothing but a rather furious look from his partner. There were still large purple welts on the left side of his neck, which seemed to be unwilling to go away.

Chi Chi had just called Gohan, asking if Piccolo could come give her a ride into town. Ox King was once again unavailable, and Chi Chi was once more insisting that it was unsafe for her to drive down the mountain by herself. Gohan really didn't understand why his mother—a martial artist who had certainly driven before—needed others' assistance, but he decided that questioning it just never ended well.

"This is your fault," Piccolo griped, hand rubbing at his neck, glaring at Gohan. "One conversation and you turn into a sexual deviant—perhaps I should let your mother see."

"Piccolo, that's not very funny!" Gohan whined, pushing his glasses up. "Anyways, you'd be in just as much trouble as me!"

"Like hell!" Piccolo griped. "I'm the victim here!"

"I really don't think you qualify as a victim considering the circumstances."

"Bah!"

"It's fine, Piccolo. Maybe I can get Videl to give mom a lift. Or Bulma?" Gohan hummed thoughtfully, pressing his finger to his lips. Then he pulled out his phone, fingers tapping away. He called Videl first, who it seemed was busy with a local robbery. Too busy to even inquire why Piccolo would be unavailable for the day, which, to Gohan, proved how intently she was actually going at it.

So he turned to Bulma. The blue haired woman confirmed that yes, she certainly would be willing to take Chi Chi, but that had prompted questions as to why Piccolo couldn't. Gohan had been unsure of how to answer—after all, did Bulma even know that Piccolo was currently living with him? He did his best to bat away her questions, saying simply that Piccolo was in a deep state of meditation, and would be unavailable for the moment.

Bulma had finally let him go, and he pocketed his phone, turning to Piccolo. "There, I saved you from the frying pan. The Great Saiyaman strikes again!" With a dramatic flair, Gohan pushed the button on his watch, enveloping him in the ridiculous get-up. He struck a pose, one leg extended behind him, as he let loose his best hero laugh.

"You're making me wish I had gone to my death with your mother," Piccolo groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Gohan chuckled, as mightily as he could, before striking another pose. "Come on, Piccolo! You're my damsel in distress—and a super cool hero like me just saved you!"

"Gohan, just because you made me watch your superhero movies does not mean I paid attention to the etiquette. Or to them at all." Piccolo's voice was bland, but Gohan went along with it, jumping to his partner's side.

"Well," Gohan whispered, dropping his voice conspiratorially, "usually they give their heroes a kiss." He wiggled his eyebrows, sunglasses wobbling as he did so.

"I'm going to punch you in ten seconds if you don't get away from me, kid."

"I'm not a kid, though! I am the _Great Saiyaman_!"

Piccolo groaned, and Gohan dragged him to his feet, rocketing up on his toes to kiss his surly partner. The Namekian made a big fuss, but eventually returned the kiss, hands reaching up to remove the glasses. He squinted at Gohan.

"Can you even see right now?" Piccolo asked.

"Not at all!" Gohan confirmed, still laughing as Piccolo reached down, pressing the button on his watch once more, and reverting the boy back to his normal clothes. "You're no fun," he pouted, until his mouth was occupied again, Piccolo's tongue tracing along his lips.

Gohan made a small noise, and gave a nervous laugh when Piccolo withdrew.

"All right. Maybe a little fun."

**December 10****th**

"Shouldn't they have healed by now?" Videl asked, prodding at one of Piccolo's hickies. He huffed, smacking her hand away from him.

"They would be," he snarled, "if not for the fact that your friend seems to think it's funny now. He's taken to dressing up as the Great Saiyaman so he can save me from evil or some garbage." At Videl's laughter, Piccolo gave her a rather sharp kick, only making her laugh harder.

"Oh my _gosh_! He's just as dorky as I remember him." She gave a wistful sigh, then noticed that Piccolo was watching her.

"If Gohan and I made up, is it possible for you two to do the same?"

Piccolo's question caught her off guard, and she showed it, eyes widening comically as she stared at him.

"Uh… Well… I mean… I guess it's possible," she mumbled, feeling incredibly self-conscious right then. Piccolo didn't appear angry or jealous, though, merely thoughtful. He nodded his head rather slowly, a small hum at the back of his throat.

"If you don't mind," Piccolo said, "could you possibly hold off on that for a while?" He seemed a little perturbed just then, though Videl found it was often times impossible to tell what exactly the Namekian was thinking of. He obviously didn't bare her ill-will, and didn't seem as if he would really stop her from seeking out her relationship with Gohan.

Which spoke volumes to her.

"I uh… I didn't plan on it anytime soon," Videl reassured him, tucking some hair back behind her ear. She was suddenly very aware of the fact that it was getting longer again. Her fingers fiddled with her bangs. "Trust me—he's quite happy with you."

Piccolo shrugged, and then seemed lost in thought. Videl swallowed her spit, and pulled out her notebook, pretending to study her notes.

**December 11****th**

Piccolo dodged a few of Goten's blows, spinning to the side, and landing a soft kick to the boy's back. He went sprawling forward, grumbling as he rubbed at his nose.

"Geez, Mr. Piccolo… I really want to beat you." Goten's eyes squinted up, looking the very picture of his father after a loss. Dejected, yet with determination burning just beneath the surface. In spite of himself, Piccolo felt a soft smile curving the corner of his mouth.

"One day you will. Unfortunately you Saiyans are on a level the rest of us can't reach. That's not even mentioning your fusion with Trunks." Piccolo grunted, rolling his shoulders. "One day you'll certainly surpass me, much as your father and brother have done before you."

Goten smiled, then, beaming up at Piccolo. "You really think so?"

"Of course. But in the meantime," Piccolo narrowed his eyes, and dropped into a crouch, cocky smirk already taking over his features, "I'm still ahead of you."

* * *

Gohan leaned against the windowsill, tea cupped in his hands as he watched Piccolo and Goten sparring. His little brother had certainly improved leaps and bounds since Buu's threat, and if not for age and general inexperience, Gohan could certainly see him being a worthy opponent for Piccolo.

"Oh," Chi Chi sighed from behind him, and Gohan turned to look at her, already noting that dreamy look in her eyes. "Seeing this simply makes me imagine the near future, when you two will have children of your own, and perhaps he'll be like he is with Goten."

Gohan grimaced, remembering last time children was really a 'topic' between Piccolo and himself.

"Mom, you know that's not happening."

"Never say never, dear. When I met your father, he didn't even know what marriage was. Yet here you and Goten are!"

"I think the situation is a bit different."

Chi Chi shrugged, shaking away his worries. "In the end, they're both aliens that have no concept of anything."

"Woman, I can hear your conversation over the sounds of our spar." Piccolo stood in the door way, Goten trailing behind him, fingers curled tight into Piccolo's cape. Gohan could practically feel his heart melt at the sight, and he saw that Chi Chi was softening in a very similar manner.

Goten then tugged at the cape, pulling Piccolo's attention away from the other family members. He turned his head at the slightest incline to look down at the little boy, a small noise at the back of his throat signaling that he could speak.

"Mr. Piccolo, will you be back by sometime this week?"

"Yes, I suppose," Piccolo grunted. He looked to Gohan then, and immediately afterwards averted his gaze, ears turning purple as the tips flicked nervously.

Gohan smiled, and lifted his cup to his lips, sipping at his tea.

**December 14****th**

His fingernails dug into green skin as he spread Piccolo's legs wider, tongue tracing along the edge of Piccolo's wetness. He pressed kisses up along the ever growing member placed before him, hips shifting as he opened his mouth, welcoming in the tip.

Piccolo groaned, and Gohan gave him a loving look as the Namekian covered his face with his hands, purple blush burning through the slits of his fingers.

Gohan pushed himself up, grasping Piccolo's wrists, and dragged them away from his partner's face. He pulled, pressing the captive hands down against the mattress.

"I like seeing your face," Gohan muttered, cheeks hot as watched Piccolo's face morph from complete and utter horror, to that of acceptance. His lips set into a thin line, and he grunted. Gohan lowered himself back down, making sure to keep his hold on Piccolo's wrist, then took his partner back into his mouth again.

**December 18****th**

Gohan woke up late, marveling at the fact that he didn't have to go into school today. He gave a rather wide grin, rolling over to where Piccolo was sitting up, reading. Piccolo gave him a rather curt nod, which didn't tamper with Gohan's brilliant mood.

He shifted, rising onto all fours. The blanket fell from him, revealing him in nothing but his boxers. His smile spread further as he noticed Piccolo's eyes glance over him, lingering on certain parts. Taking that as a positive sign, Gohan shuffled closer, hands going to either side of Piccolo's hips, his torso covering up the book as he began kissing the Namekian.

"Certainly in high spirits already," Piccolo mumbled, and Gohan chuckled, lips quivering against his partner's.

"Any day with you is a good day, Piccolo!" he cheered, rocking back on his heels.

Piccolo snorted. "You're ridiculous, you know that?"

"Yes," Gohan laughed, sprawling out across Piccolo's lap. "But considering you choose to live with me—I think we can scientifically deduce that you secretly enjoy it."

"How much of a secret is it when you're sitting in my lap and I haven't killed you yet?" Piccolo huffed, though one hand wound its way into Gohan's hair, claw tips brushing against his scalp. Gohan gave a happy hum, and lay there, rather placated for the moment.

His hurt feelings were beginning to fade. He was chalking it up to both of them being—being, well, idiots in this department. Piccolo was new to expressing his feelings and actually learning how to rationally handle emotional bonding with people. To this extent anyhow.

And Gohan… Well. There were small moments where he'd look to Piccolo, and wonder what his mentor was really thinking. Small flickers of doubt that he was slowly learning to push down.

Moments like these, with Piccolo pampering him in this way, certainly made it that much easier.

**December 19****th**

"Make your friend stop," Piccolo griped, hands pointedly covering his rather large ears. Gohan laughed at the sight, and then looked to Videl, prancing around their apartment, chanting Christmas carols at full volume.

He dug into Videl's box that she'd brought over, and pulled out a large bag of bows. Chuckling at Piccolo's discontent, he tossed the Namekian the bag. The plastic crinkled as it hit Piccolo.

"You should have known this was happening! This is your second year celebrating Christmas so… Intimately with us." Videl smirked, nudging Piccolo with her elbow.

"You are such a crass individual," Piccolo snapped, huffily drawing away from her. His usual aura was diminished by his human clothes, however, and neither of his companions took him seriously. Frowning, he tucked himself in a corner, watching the two go about their business. Both were soon in the air, pushing tacks into the wall, and exchanging idle conversation.

From what Piccolo garnered it was the usual; Videl discussed her recent crime busts, and Gohan lamented over his inactivity in the field.

Piccolo found himself smiling, just the slightest bit, as Gohan turned to look at him.

**December 21****st**

Piccolo bent over, reaching for a bottled water, delving to the back of the fridge. On the other side of the kitchen, Gohan dropped his fork, food momentarily forgotten as he was treated to a splendid view. His palms hit the table, pushing him up and out of his chair.

His hands gripped Piccolo's hips, and he felt his partner stiffen, glancing over his shoulder at Gohan. For a moment, his eyes widen in surprise, before Piccolo simply shifted to a more deadpanned expression. He scoffed.

"Really? You were eating dinner. However did you come to this?" Piccolo asked, turning back to focus on getting his water bottle.

Gohan chuckled, one hand trailed down Piccolo's thigh, fingers rubbing against the denim. Beneath his touch he could feel muscles quivering, and he could feel his erection already pressing against his zipper. His other hand moved to Piccolo's ass, hand cupping it firmly. He licked his lips, eyes tracing the arch of Piccolo's spine.

"Sorry, Piccolo," Gohan murmured, "you're just so distracting, you know?"

"I wouldn't have the faintest idea." Piccolo sounded as if he were attempting for a more dry tone, yet Gohan noticed that he'd forgone his search for water, and rose up. Gohan took this as his chance to kick the fridge door closed, hurriedly pressing against his partner, kisses showering against a green neck.

Piccolo's head knocked back against the freezer, but Gohan held him stationary. He gripped Piccolo's thighs, and lifted up. He heard a noise of surprise, and hurriedly smothered it with his lips. Thrusting his hips forward, Gohan ground against Piccolo's own need, fingers kneading at his partner's backside.

"Gohan," Piccolo grunted, panting against the onslaught of affection, "we're in," he was interrupted again with Gohan's tongue intruding into his mouth, "the kitchen." The sentence was finally complete. A small noise of admission followed, before Gohan pushed upwards at Piccolo's sweater.

Green and pink skin was revealed as shivering fingers dragged at the hem, and the Namekian huffed, knocking Gohan's hands away.

"Not in here."

Gohan pulled back, lowering Piccolo's feet back to the ground. His smile was slightly sheepish now that there was space between the two, and Piccolo's expression was that of extreme exasperation.

"Come on, kid. Bedroom. We will not dirty up where we eat." Piccolo cast a cursory glance to their abandoned dinner. "Though apparently you took no consideration of the effort that goes into that."

Gohan chuckled, rubbing at the back of his head, and desperately trying to pretend like they both didn't have erections that were completely and utterly visible.

"Sorry, but…"

"I know," Piccolo grunted, waving a hand as his face colored slightly. "You have a thing for backsides."

"In my defense, yours is pretty fantastic."

"I'll take your word for it."

He grabbed Piccolo's hand, and pulled, the two trailing off to the bedroom. Once they crossed the threshold, Gohan took initiative once more, floating up to kiss his partner. It felt nice to be eye level, his arms wrapping around the thick neck before him. Fingernails dug into shoulder blades, and Gohan felt himself tip backwards.

His back sunk into the mattress, and he could feel Piccolo's heavy weight crashing down above him. He pressed his knees to Piccolo's hips, their chests pressing together as each attempted to gather their bearings. For a moment, Gohan was confused—this certainly wasn't normal. Gohan was always the leading party, and when he'd been with Videl… well…

He wasn't used to large men pressing down on him with boners shoved against his stomach.

Piccolo's large frame made it a bit odd, leading him to tower over Gohan, appendage almost shoving against his rib cage. He gulped, staring up at the man above him. Slowly, he drew his hands up, running them underneath Piccolo's sweater once more, caressing the muscles hidden from view.

"This is new," Gohan laughed, and Piccolo huffed.

"Certainly. I don't know where to proceed from here," Piccolo admitted, glancing down between them.

"Same as always," Gohan smiled, leaving the expansive chest to instead cup Piccolo's chin, rubbing soft circles with his thumb. Piccolo gave a slow nod, shoulders flexing as he lowered himself to press kisses along Gohan's neck.

Biting his lip, Gohan ran a hand over the back of Piccolo's head, cupping the nape of his partner's neck. He arched upwards, gasping as sharp nails scraped up his sides.

**December 22****nd**

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Gohan exclaimed, drawing Piccolo's attention. The boy was standing shirtless in front of the bathroom mirror, staring incredulously at his reflection. When Piccolo entered, Gohan quickly turned a dejected gaze upon him.

"What?" Piccolo demanded, eyes still a bit bleary. After their fooling around from the previous night, the Namekian had actually slept in, not even waking up to make breakfast. It was a testament to how tired he was, and he'd just been woken up by Gohan's exclamations.

"Look!" Gohan demanded, gesturing at the entirety of his body. He then pulled at the waistband of his pants, stretching the elastic.

"I just woke up, please refrain from showing me your genitals so early." Piccolo griped, rubbing once more at his eyes. He was never this groggy after meditation—why did sleep do this to him?

"I'm not—no Piccolo! I'm not flashing you! I mean, I'm covered in bites!" Gohan huffed, allowing his band to snap back into place. His arms soon crossed over his chest, and he glared pointedly at Piccolo, bare foot tapping against the tile.

Piccolo huffed, and furrowed his brow. "You know what I call all of that?"

"What?" Gohan demanded.

"Karma."

**December 23****rd**

"Why must we watch these movies?" Piccolo demanded, as Gohan sat pressed snuggly against his side. Videl sat on the floor, head against Piccolo's knee as she sprawled her legs out in front of her. Both had nestled a popcorn bowl into Piccolo's lap, and were steadily munching on it as they progressed through a ridiculous amount of Christmas movies.

Perhaps it was the fact that he was alien, or simply the reincarnation of his father that had been forced to mature rapidly in nature by himself, but most of these human customs seemed so ridiculous to him. Sure, he happened to enjoy reading, yet movies seemed to take everything interesting out of that. They tended to be most vapid, and referenced things that Piccolo couldn't understand. The facial expressions were that much harder to read as well without an author there pointing out every discrepancy and what they entailed.

Then there was the music and over all jolliness that were Christmas movies. Piccolo thought them abominations. Gohan and Videl ate them up.

"They're essential to this time of year!" Videl huffed, casting a cursory glance up to the Namekian. Her black brows contracted heavily over her eyes, and she made a sharp shushing noise.

Gohan gave him a soft smile, and placed his hand over Piccolo's, palm warm against his skin. He grumbled a bit more, but he couldn't deny that he enjoyed the feeling. Making sure that Videl was facing forward, completely enveloped in the movie, Piccolo quickly darted his free hand out, captured Gohan's chin, and pressed a chaste kiss upon his lips.

Gohan stared, open mouthed and glassy eyed, as Piccolo turned back to the TV. And if his smirk was a bit smug, well… Was he really to be blamed?

**December 25****th**

Piccolo had made the assumption that this year would be much like the previous year. A small get together involving the Son family, with Chi Chi's cooking and a simple setting. He really should have known, however, to expect nothing of the sort from the people he'd become involved with.

As he sat—persuaded by Chi Chi again to wear a hideous Christmas sweater—at the dinner table, eating his helping of food, he was astonished to suddenly feel power levels approaching. His grip tightened around his fork as one by one, the Z-warriors began pouring in.

The first to arrive was Krillin and Android 18, baby in tow, followed by Tien and Chaotzu. Yamcha arrived with the Briefs, and then the Son house was entirely too packed for Piccolo's comfort. As he simply tried to eat and completely disappear from the surface of the Earth, he was denied this very comfort.

Krillin slapped him on the shoulder, congratulating him loudly on his Christmas apparel, while Android 18 stood off to the side, suspiciously looking like she was laughing. Bulma came next, commenting on how the color of his sweater clashed with his skin, and how surprised she was to see him here. Then she promptly dumped Trunks off on him, which came as a packaged deal with Goten. The two began scrambling all over him, asking questions, being generally obnoxious.

Piccolo began to understand why this planet was almost eradicated so very often, and he wondered why he ever did anything to help save it.

Then Gohan was behind him, peeling Goten off of his shoulders, promptly setting the little boy to the side. "Mom wants to see you and Trunks," he said, sending both boys flying into another room. A smile was on Gohan's lips, and he placed a hand on Piccolo's shoulder. "Will you come outside with me? I need to grab some firewood."

Thankful for the intervention, Piccolo hastily stood up, dodging Yamcha, who had a glass of something that made his face a little red, and a bit too friendly. He followed Gohan outside, grateful as soon as the cool air coated his cheeks.

"I'm going to murder you and your mother," Piccolo grumbled, following Gohan to the pile of wood. The boy chuckled, stooping to grab a few logs.

"I'm sorry—I didn't know everyone would be here this year. Mom always changes it up. I guess she assumed that it wouldn't be a big deal." Gohan shifted the wood, balancing it all on one hand, chin tucking into the turtleneck he wore to cover his bite marks.

Piccolo huffed, and began gathering a few pieces of his own. He took his time, knowing that there was no rush. Gohan could easily have carried in this whole pile on his own, so Piccolo recognized that he was simply offering a plausible reason for Piccolo to dismiss himself from the festivities.

"Thank-you," he finally muttered, both of them standing with the split pile. A faint smile ghosted across his face.

"Anything for you," Gohan returned, and Piccolo could see the look that he got whenever the thought of kisses were entering his brain. Abruptly, Piccolo turned away, not wanting to tempt fate. He didn't exactly know the reaction they'd face if any of the Z-warriors happened to see them kissing with absolutely no warning.

The two headed back inside, Piccolo ducking his head as he entered. They were immediately greeted by Chi Chi, who directed them to the fire place, instructing them as she went. Piccolo saw that hair had been slipping loose from her ponytail, and she had that frantic look in her eyes whenever company was over. Honestly, he could never understand why she subjected herself to this—the perfectionist that she was.

Gohan then led him over to the couch, the two sitting a respectable distance from one another. Though, Piccolo noticed that occasionally his partner would allow his leg to slide to the side a bit, thighs touching in an innocent manner.

Soon more people began filtering into the living room, now that eating was done. Krillin and Android 18 took up residency in a chair, while Trunks and Goten sprawled in the floor, sitting as close to the Christmas tree as possible. Chi Chi sat in her armchair, while Tien and Yamcha stood off to the side. Vegeta blocked the doorway, so far from festivities that Piccolo was a bit jealous. Bulma came and plopped herself down next to Piccolo, giving him a tiny wave as she did so.

He deigned her with a nod.

Chi Chi began handing out presents, and Piccolo tuned it all out. There was only one person that he had bothered to even think of during this stupid holiday, and the present that he had certainly wasn't beneath that tree.

He saw Goten get a few toys that he didn't recognize, and Gohan received books—big surprise there. Chi Chi got some appliances? Piccolo shook his head at that. But the others—he certainly paid no attention to them nor what they received. He found that if he looked at Gohan's smile just enough… well it made time go by just that much quicker.

* * *

Gohan kissed his mother good night, wrapping her up in a warm hug. The brief thought of staying the night had occurred to him—just for old times' sake, but Piccolo seemed antsy to go home. Gohan was certain that this day surrounded by people had been just a bit stressful to his partner, so he decided to take his leave.

Grabbing Piccolo's hand, the two stepped over a sleeping Goten and Trunks, still spread-eagle on the floor surrounded by toys and wrapping paper shreds. Once outside, they took to the sky, hands warm as they linked together. The brisk winter air couldn't dampen how wonderful Gohan felt just then, soaring through the sky.

They touched down at the apartment, and Piccolo stopped, shifting his feet.

"Wait. Before you go in…." he grunted, then glanced to the right. "I need you to wait out here."

Gohan blinked, tilting his head to the side. "O… okay?" He acquiesced, wondering what the hell this was about. He scrunched up his nose, and stepped to the side, watching Piccolo disappear behind the door. To distract himself, he took out his phone, texting Videl the obligatory 'merry Christmast' text. He clicked the home button, then smiled fondly at his wallpaper. They'd come so far… He wondered if he should replace it with a more current picture…

The door opened, and Piccolo emerged. His arm extended, and Gohan took the proffered hand, stepping into the apartment. He stepped into a dark room, ears picking up on the song that he and Piccolo had danced to numerous times before. Eyes widening, he looked to the ceiling, and saw plastic planets, taped haphazardly upon the ceiling, their green glow cascading down on him.

Gulping, Gohan looked to Piccolo in awe, unsure of what to say, all of the 'I love you's frogging up within his throat.

"Videl helped me do this…" Piccolo gestured widely, shrugging his shoulders. "I had the idea but… she pulled it all together." He grunted, then, and crossed his arms. "Anyways, merry Christmas."

"Piccolo…" Gohan floated upwards, eyes scanning over their universe—over their world. He grasped Piccolo's chin, pulling the Namekian closer. Their noses touched, and Gohan remained there, until Piccolo gripped Gohan's hips, pulling him into a more solid embrace.

"I love you," Gohan whispered, lips moving against Piccolo's as he spoke, pressing closer, letting the warmth envelope him. Piccolo held him there, his feet dangling down near the Namekian's shin, and Gohan was certain the stars had never looked more beautiful.

**I specifically didn't put a song, because I feel like whatever comes to mind is more appropriate then whatever I could impose on you. My personal choice is Vanilla Twilight, but if any of you thought of anything different, feel free to tell me! I would love to hear other's take on it.**

**Thank-you for your patience, and let me know what you think.**


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